Sammy’s Gourmet Deli Is Leaving After Developer Purchase Of 165 Dekalb Avenue
Sammy’s Gourmet Deli is closing and will officially vacate 165 Dekalb Avenue some time next week, according to a clerk who was manning the cash register while noticeably dwindling shelves continued to empty of its contents.
The reason? The building was sold to a developer for $2.5 million and Sammy’s needs to vacate.
The sale actually took place back in December, 2015, according to the Department of Finance, and was sold by long-time owner Gaetano Chierchia and his family to LKC Dekalb LLC, which has its office listed as being in Manhattan’s Chinatown.
The new owners have not yet made any filings for what they want to do with the building, but we’ll let you know as soon as we know anything.
The extended Chierchia family has owned the building — a 1-3 family building with the ground-floor retail/office space — since at least 1967, and Sammy’s has been there for at least 18 years, which is how far back customers like Angeles Mojica go.
“My family and I have been shopping at Sammy’s since we moved to Fort Greene in 1999 and my favorite thing about Sammy’s is the neighborhood vibe it has,” Mojica said. “Grabbing coffee or the paper in the morning often had a social aspect to it.
“I used joke with them that it was the only place left in New York you could buy coffee for $1,” she added. “My kids would buy sandwiches, chips, drinks, candy and when they were little — and during the summer, they’d get balloons to make water balloons at the park.”In short, “Sammy’s was a neighborhood institution. I’m heartbroken. It will be missed.”Now where will Mojica go for her morning coffee and lotto tickets? .”I can’t say, but definitely no Starbucks!”
