Beloved Brooklyn pork store G. Esposito & Sons closes its doors after 100 years

A beloved Italian butcher in Brooklyn went out of business after 100 years as rising rents drove them out.

G. Esposito & Sons Jersey Pork Store, located at 357 Court Street, quietly closed its doors on April 10 after a century of serving local residents since 1922. The store — which was attached to a four-story townhouse — sold for $ 3.3 million.

Frank Esposito’s great-grandfather opened the shop when he immigrated to New York City from Italy, and his customer base quickly grew.

Over time, the Esposito family witnessed the changing real estate prices and eventually came to realize that shop would eventually close rather than continue to be passed on to future generations.

Several customers stopped by the store on their last day to say goodbye to the Esposito family and cried when they were offered free food.

The owners called it quits after they went bankrupt due to rising rents. The prices were too high to pass on to the business. Pictured: A statue of a pig standing outside the store

Devastated customers realized the store was closing last month when they walked past the front window to see a sign.

Leading up to the closure, a few people stopped by to present the Esposito family with gifts for their service.

In return, co-owner John Esposito and his sons Frank and George wanted to give their loyal customers a warm goodbye and free food on their last day open.

“I think they’re shocked by the number of people who have come along and expressed gratitude and given gifts and cried,” Frank Esposito told the paper. New York Post.

A 95-year-old customer named Rita recalls shopping at the store since childhood. She was one of the loyal customers who parted ways with the beloved store, along with others who bought tubs of sausage and eggplant parmesan.

The shop famously sourced its meat from North and South Carolina, but it was known to have been imported from New Jersey at one time.

The parting was hard for some clients who initially bought properties in the area because they fell in love with Esposito’s.

“I’ve been getting letters from people who bought brownstones in this neighborhood just because of us,” George Esposito said.

“People said, ‘You know, I wasn’t sure if I should invest in the area. I shopped at your store once and said I should buy in this area because Esposito’s is here.'”

Devastated shoppers realized the store was closing last month when they walked past the front window to see a sign

The store opened in 1922 when the original owner emigrated from Naples, Italy

Leaving the famous store behind was a difficult choice for the family, as rising rents in the area were too high for Frank and George – both in their 60s – to even consider passing on the family business.

Despite the closure, the family’s legacy may live on for some time to come. Several authors have approached George to publish his family’s famous recipes, the news source said.

One of the most requested recipes is for its rice balls.

Meanwhile, the family can enjoy their weekends with family again and wait to see what the future holds.