Even on the best of days, a butcher’s job is never easy. And right now the Silver Star Meat Market is fighting through tough economic times — and competition from the recently opened German-based Aldi supermarket — but if history is any indication, this little meat market will remain a cut above the rest.
“We’re here for the long haul,” said Silver Star owner Pat Basile. “We’ve been here for 40 years and, hopefully, we’ll be here for another 40.”
When Basile’s father opened the Silver Star Meat Market on Nostrand Avenue in 1968, they did one thing and they did it well — meat.
But over the years, Silver Star transformed to provide a more comprehensive shopping experience, offering a deli, grocery, cooked foods, and eventually a handsome produce selection.
“The neighborhood’s changed,” said Basile. “So we changed to accommodate as many people as we can.”
The meat purveyors found themselves with some competition when Waldbaums moved onto the block, and after that grocer left, Pathmark moved in, only to leave in 2011.
Then came Aldi this summer, a German-based supermarket chain that takes peculiar measures to cut costs, like charging for bags and grocery carts, and declining to accept credit cards.
Basile admits the new European competition has been tough.
“Our sales started dipping right around the time that Aldi opened,” he said. “People are looking for deals. The economy’s bad and they’re willing to shop around.”
The butcher’s strategy for staying in business is simple — Silver Star just sells better meat.
“Really, Aldi has no deli, and their meat selection is pre-packed stuff,” he said. “We have the better meats.”
Either way, Silver Star has fought the big names before and won, and Basile doesn’t see his family business going anywhere anytime soon.
“We’ll find a way,” he said. “Waldbaums was there, they’re gone. Pathmark was here, they’re gone. Now Aldi’s here, but I go over there and see four people shopping, so we’ll see how long they’re here.”
