The oldest cheese shop in the US is closing in New York’s Little Italy, but it will have a new home in New Jersey

Call it “the miracle on Mulberry Street.”

Yes, New York’s oldest cheese shop, believed to be America’s oldest, has been forced to permanently close its doors at its Little Italy store. But there are plans to give it new life across the Hudson River.

After financial difficulties and legal battles, Alleva Dairy closed the only place it knew in its 130-year history, on the corner of Mulberry Street and Grand Street.

People stopped during the day to buy leftover cheeses. But all the signage has been removed and the store is almost completely stocked, although the legacy will be preserved.

Owner Karen King and her husband bought the Alleva Dairy Farm ten years ago.

“My husband was born and raised in Little Italy, his name was Cha Cha, and he was the unofficial mayor of Little Italy,” King told NBC in New York in February.

When Cha Cha died in 2015, King made it her mission to save Alleva. But then the pandemic hit and businesses in the tourist area were hit hard by the shutdowns.

Business has been slowly bouncing back for a staple of the area, known for its fresh cheeses (like mozzarella, which is made fresh every day) and massive sandwiches — especially after it expanded to become a cafe offering things like arancini. They tried to sell prepared food and groceries to stay afloat.

“It helped, but it didn’t bring in the money I needed to pay the rent,” King said earlier.

A historic store in Little Italy is forced to close after a year-long legal battle with a landlord. It is reported by Rana Novini.

But the store overdue rent for two years and filed for bankruptcy. A months-long legal battle ensued with the building’s landlord for more than $500,000 in overdue rent, as that landlord refused to honor the remainder of the company’s 10-year lease.

In April 2022, King stated that she was ready to pay the money, but she just needed time for it. But the landlord demanded money, and Alleva recently got the last deal: the store will be forgiven the debt, but he must leave the building.

King last spoke to NBC New York in February, and her story reached a real estate developer named Jack Morris. He stepped in with plans to package Alleva and move it to a larger location in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.

“He takes me to places I’ve wanted to go all my life, and I take my little cheese shop with me,” King said. “It’s a miracle on Mulberry Street!”

While it won’t be the same as the famous shop where they’ve been selling cheese since 1892, the end of that era will mark a new one.

A new location in Lyndhurst is under construction and they plan to open in August. Some of the original signage and pottery will be shipped with them in honor of the traditions of their longtime and beloved place in Little Italy.

Alleva Dairy, the oldest cheese shop in the US, located in New York’s Little Italy neighborhood, was used by a landlord ostensibly to pay rent. NBC New York correspondent Rana Novini reports.