Save Chinatown's Oldest Meat Shop from Eviction

In January 2022, New York’s Moratorium on Evictions for commercial entities ended, and 47 Division Street Trading Inc. was notified that they needed to pay $289,000, or risk being evicted. Despite the many challenges of running a small business during a pandemic for the past two years, the Li family was just starting to get back on their feet. The Lis are still undergoing a series of court proceedings to try and negotiate with their landlord in order to keep their legacy alive, but it seems unpromising thus far. Let’s help 47 Division Street Trading Inc. stay open indefinitely so that they can continue to feed and support the community, as they’ve done for decades past.

 

 

Keeping 47 Division Street Trading Inc. Alive

Despite the challenges of running a small business in the middle of the pandemic–and dealing with recovery now–47 Division Street Trading Inc. was just starting to get back on their feet. They’ve applied for the PPP loan, among other grants. This butcher shop and family has needed to be resilient time and time again.

 

Now, the Li family is faced with yet another obstacle. When New York City shut down in March of 2020, like many other businesses, 47 Division Street Trading Inc. was forced to temporarily close their doors. At this time, they pleaded with their landlord to consider other rent payment options, such as rent reductions and rent freezes. With their shop closed for months, coupled with low foot traffic and sales upon reopening, they did not have the means to pay the full amount in rent as they had pre-COVID. Their landlord did not respond to their attempts at negotiation during this time, so instead, 47 Division Street Trading Inc. kept an escrow account with rent funds to show intent to pay rent.

 

Throughout the past two years since, Jefferson and his family have had difficulties negotiating with their landlord. After New York State ended their Moratorium on Evictions for commercial entities, effective January 15, 2022, their landlord demanded back rent from March 2020 in full. Now, the Li family owes over $289,000, or they are faced with the threat of being evicted. In their escrow account set aside for rent, they were able to amass slightly under half of this amount. To date, Jefferson is still attending court proceedings and negotiating with the landlord in an effort to reach an agreement on the final amount in rent owed. They might not come to a final decision until August 2022.

 

Why We Need 47 Division Street Trading Inc.

Since August 2020, 47 Division Street Trading Inc. has worked with Send Chinatown Love (SCL) on multiple Gift-a-Meal initiatives, where SCL partners with a community based organization and a local merchant to provide free meals or groceries to community members in need.

 

In 2021, Jefferson and his family partnered with SCL to provide over $7,000 worth of groceries to community based organizations in Flushing and Chinatown Manhattan. These groceries all went to low-income families and the elderly, providing 1200+ free meals across five distribution events. To make this possible, Jefferson took time out of his 12-hour work day to prepare and deliver groceries to food-insecure community members, even delivering chicken thighs at 4 a.m. on multiple occasions.

 

To the rest of the community, they provide an invaluable service: quality produce and meat at an extremely affordable price, especially given the current state of the economy and inflation.

 

Since 1995, Jefferson and his family have helped feed the community at bottom dollar prices for decades. During COVID, when other merchants and supermarkets were upcharging their products as much as they could get away with, the Li family kept their prices the same. When others were charging $47 for a pack of eight drumsticks, the Lis kept their original 69¢/lb price.

 

Now, they are the ones who need our help. While we do not know the final amount owed yet, given how difficult the negotiations have been thus far, we are setting an ambitious goal of raising $150,000 for the Li family – the other half needed in their escrow account.

 

If you are able, please donate what you can to help the Li family keep their shop alive. This shop is not only their family’s livelihood, but it is also a staple of the greater Chinatown community. We cannot afford to lose 47 Division Street Trading Inc.

 

About 47 Division Street Trading Inc.

A Chinatown staple since 1995, 47 Division Street Trading Inc. has been indispensable to its largely low-income, immigrant clientele. The family-run meat shop sells a variety of cuts at wholesale prices, offering everything from chicken leg to oxtail.

 

The owner, Peter Li, learned the butchering trade in China, during a time of job and food scarcity. After immigrating to America for a better life for his wife and future kids, Peter was afforded the opportunity to take over 47 Division Street Trading Inc. from its aging owner despite not being profitable at the time; it was one of the only means to support his family with his limited English ability.

 

Peter’s son, Jefferson, has worked at the store since he was a child, and works long hours to keep the business afloat and the community fed. Faced with gentrification, aging parents, discrimination, and low foot traffic brought on by COVID, Jefferson does everything he can to generate business. Some may already know Jefferson through his unabashed, candid Reddit post and his feature in the Wall Street Journal.

 

 

The shop has required professional and personal sacrifice from the entire family: growing up, Jefferson’s parents would work 16-hour days to keep the business afloat and build an easier life for their children. Now, in an attempt to have his parents enjoy semi-retirement, Jefferson handles everything, from paperwork to deliveries — anything to keep his family’s legacy alive. To him, his parents’ and family’s legacy of perseverance and determination to succeed in America as immigrants is worth doing anything and fighting for.

 

 

 

All donations will be received and managed directly by 47 Division St Trading Inc. as the sole organizer of this fundraiser. Designated team members shall have no interest in or claim to any portion of the proceeds.