Ebert’s Meats, the Monmouth Street staple, announced today that after 125 years, next week will be their last serving customers.
In a Facebook post, owners cited landlord disputes and the cost to relocate as the reason for shutting down the Newport butcher shop. The family-owned business had planned to move the shop after their landlord had given them two months to vacate in spring of 2022.
”The costs of the move just proved to be too much, and the building owner (Steven Rayburn) has no intention of extending our lease any further,” The message to customers reads in part. “We are very sorry for the short notice, but the decision wasn’t official until recently. Our goal was to maintain the best of quality and service for our regular holiday customers and not sadden the holiday season. The chaos that ensued last time we announced our closing assured us we would not be able to do that.”
Their previous post announcing their closure garnered not only social media attention, but also local news coverage. A Go Fund Me was established to assist the store in relocating, and a few days after the initial message they were allowed by the landlord to stay until they found a new home.
Future plans for the building are unknown.
