[EVG photo from December probably obviously]
The Voice pays tribute to the great East Village Meat Market, 139 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street.
The piece offers some history of the space and a rundown on the well-stocked meat counter.
Opened in 1970 by Julian Baczynsky, the store boasts a dated red and blue sign out front and an un-remodeled interior. Store-length deli cases run the length of the shop to the left of the entrance, and numerous Ukrainian and Polish goods line the shelves to the right. The place contains none of the Greek-fraternal vibe now often found in the East Village.
And!
You'll often spy long-time customers. "Do you remember us? We come all the way from Astoria," an elderly couple pushing a cart said to one of the many employees helping customers at the market. Quickly thereafter, Andrew Ilmicki, the longtime store manager, appeared to say hi to the hunched over couple, smiling and welcoming them back.
"The most important part of our business is the people," he told me later. "If you don't welcome them in, they maybe never come back."
Read the whole article here.
2 comments:
I love that place. I am vegetarian so I don't order the meat but they have cool candy I buy.
The last part should be read by every indie business around. Stop treating people like d-bags and maybe they will become regulars.
I've seen lots of shoddy customer service and then the rent or landlord or Bloomberg gets blamed for the place going under. While that may be part of the issue - you still have to care about your customers and provide good service. Sorry about the rant but some of the newer local shops seem too worried about yelp or branding or some other nonsense. I don't care how many mags or blogs love you. When I'm in your shop pretend to love me LOL and maybe you'll do better.
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