Ridgewood's iconic pork store forced to close its doors after nearly 70 years
RIDGEWOOD, Queens (WABC) -- At Morscher's Pork Store in the Ridgewood section of Queens, there are old school butchers who make the meat.
Not a lot of places still do it like they do.
"We take the stuff from nothing," said Herbert Morscher one of the three owners of the longstanding shop. "Put fine cuts in. Chop it out. Stuff it out. Smoke it out. Cook."
They start their day before sunrise and work until past dinnertime.
But they are more than butchers. Together, they're two or three partners who own the business.
Open for nearly 70 years, this shop remains a staple in the neighborhood on account of their meats being that good -- a fact Eyewitness News verified firsthand.
"You don't get a better hot dog when it comes to our process," assured Morscher.
But after serving the community for almost seven decades, Morscher's Pork Store is about to shut their doors for good on Feb. 3.
The reason is due to the fact that their third co-owner, the senior partner, who happens to also be their landlord, is quadrupling the rent.
"This ship is taking on water," said Morscher. "We had a steady hand on the tiller. It's gonna start listing on the port side most likely, but we're gonna keep going until the end. We're going down with the ship."
Morscher has been working at the shop since he was in high school in 1981.
His father back then was a partner.
And then there's Peter Kotarowski.
After being an employee for a decade, he eventually became the third co-owner -- devoting 22 years of his life to the place.
What's next for him?
"I didn't think about this. It's too sad to think," he said.
Eyewitness News asked the landlord for a reason behind the increased rent, which he responded with "this isn't good for me," before politely hanging up.
Herbert says he too has been unable to get an explanation.
"We've never done this before," he said. "Peter has never done it. I've never shut a place down. But you come to work, and you're depressed."
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