After battling to stay open, adored Little Italy cheese shop Alleva Dairy faces a new pandemic-related obstacle
NEW YORK -- A beloved Little Italy cheese shop that has been around for generations may be on the brink of shuttering after falling behind on its bills during the pandemic.
As CBS2's Thalia Perez reported, it's not the only business in that part of the city scrambling to stay afloat.
Alleva Dairy has been on the corner of Grand and Mulberry since it opened its doors in 1892. It's a staple in the neighborhood that's known for its daily made fresh cheeses and a variety of other Italian specialties.
"She specifically wanted to get olives, so we came all the way over here," said Shannon Kelly, a tourist from California.
The traditions date back to Benevento, Italy, where the founding Alleva family was from.
Karen King told CBS2 that she and her late husband, John "Cha Cha" Ciarcia, bought the shop in 2014. He was a cousin of the Alleva family, but sadly passed away in 2015. That's when King took the reins.
"Alleva was doing great. We were doing great. I even built a huge kitchen to support what my vision was," King said.
But then in 2020 the pandemic hit and everything came to a screeching halt.
"Everybody worked for practically nothing just to keep the doors open," King said. "I had to let people go because there was no business, but my family, who I love, because they stuck by me."
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Nicole Wilson is King's niece. She and her brother, Sean, were instrumental in reinventing the business plan to keep the business going, including introducing their grandmother's 100-year-old recipe for pizza Rustica pie to the mix.
"We did deliveries, curbside pick up. That whole thing kind of kept it afloat," Nicole Wilson said.
"For us, it's not really like it's a job, you know? This is like it's like our home," Sean Wilson added.
Although tourism and business have both picked up in Little Italy, King says the cheese shop is facing serious financial trouble and is behind on its rent.
"To lose Alleva would be devastating to me. And it's not the money; it's keeping the tradition going on, keeping this place alive," King said.
King said her landlord is suing her for the unpaid balance, and although she has applied for grants and other assistance to no avail, she just hopes to find a way to save her cheese store before its too late.