Queens-Based ‘Butcher Bar’ Takes Over Cursed 146 Orchard Street

There has been almost zero activity at 146 Orchard Street in the last four years. Just a disheveled appearance and a notorious reputation as a cursed space. This marked silence was finally pierced earlier this week, however, with the announcement of a new tenant. Get ready for the Butcher Bar.

This disheveled storefront, you’ll recall, previously housed two ill-fated ventures Orchard House and APL before it. Then, in 2014, Frankie & Johnnie’s principal Peter Chimos joined Food Network star Chef Aaron Sanchez to install a Mexican restaurant around the corner from his popular former hang, Paladar. That plan was equally left for dead, despite promises of a Fall 2014 debut.

But now the crinkled butcher paper in the windows of 146 Orchard is replaced with newspaper coupon clippings. The flag has been swapped and a “butcher” sign sits above the entrance.

With two locations in Queens (Astoria, Long Island City), the Butcher Bar took over the lease, and has apparently been in the works since at least 2015.

At Butcher Bar our mission is to connect our customers to the source of their food – small scale, sustainable local farms that are committed to producing natural, humanely raised, high quality and distinctive meat products.

Our goal is to educate our customers to a growing movement of health conscious eating and sustainable farming practices.

We Offer: Locally sourced 100% grass-fed and grass-fed/organic grain finished beef, organic chicken, heritage breed pigs and more traditional meat products- always feed-lot free and raised without hormones, antibiotics or animal by-products.

We are purveyors of a unique selection of artisanal meats and other fine organic goods.

The resumption in activity seems linked to the city’s approval two weeks ago of permits to legalize the ground floor for restaurant usage. In other words, changing the Certificate of Occupancy of 146 Orchard Street to allow for an “eating and drinking establishment” on the ground floor. And, for the record, Sion Misrahi owns this building.

Meanwhile, we have yet to see any liquor license application go before Community Board 3 (and the public) for consideration.