New Court Street Grocers Closed By City Days After Opening

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN — Court Street Grocers' newest addition to its sandwich shop empire was closed three days after it first opened by health inspectors who found evidence of rats in the basement, city records show.

The Court Street Grocers' outpost at 378 Metropolitan Ave. was shut down on June 14, just three days after opening, according to Health Department records and co-owner Matt Ross.

"It almost killed me," Ross told Patch Tuesday afternoon. "It's punitive for something we had no control over and it literally cost me about $25,000."

The high-end shop — where diners can spend $13 on a sloppy joe sandwich or a $14 on a cubano — received 75 violation points, more than two times the amount needed for a C grade, during its inspection, city records show.

Health inspectors found evidence of rats, cold foods being held at unsafe temperatures, unclean counters and service items being reused and improperly stored, city records show.

But Ross told Patch the new eatery would have received an A grade if it weren't for the basement, which Court Street shares with the restaurant Daungdee Thai next door, and which was "poorly maintained" by the building's landlord.

"We had no food down there," said Ross. "Not even potato chips or drinks."

City records confirm that Daungdee Thai was also shut down last Thursday when it received 103 violation points.

The Williamsburg Court Street Grocers is the fourth of an expanding empire, belonging to Ross and co-owner Eric Finkelstein, who boast successful sandwich outposts in Red Hook, Manhattan and Carroll Gardens.

Ross and Finkelstein spent three days, and spent about $4,000, getting the basement underneath Court Street Grocers up to code before reopening on Tuesday, he said.

"We were busy today," said Ross. "We're back and running."

Photo of the Court Street Grocers outpost in Carroll Gardens courtesy of GoogleMaps/Nov. 2017