WEST VILLAGE — Murray's Cheese and its flagship store on Bleecker Street are now owned by Cincinnati-based grocery giant Kroger.
A spokeswoman for Murray's Cheese confirmed the sale and said that the store will retain the Murray's name.
"Our customers won’t see any difference!" spokeswoman Katie Kirby said.
The purchase of the property was first reported by The Real Deal, and the purchase of the business was first confirmed by The Wall Street Journal.
Murray's has been in business in New York City since 1940, and the business started a partnership with Kroger in 2008, resulting in some 350 Murray's Cheese shops in Kroger stores in the years since.
"In 2008, we pioneered a store-within-a-store concept at a handful of Kroger stores. Between 2008 and 2012, we opened 38 stores, and in 2016 we opened nearly 100. This partnership has exceeded our wildest expectations," said former Murray’s owner and president Rob Kaufelt, who will remain affiliated with the business as a strategic adviser.
“Rob’s dedication to his craft has placed Murray’s on the map among the culinary elite while also making specialty cheese more accessible to mainstream consumers,” added Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO. “We look forward to Rob’s continued influence on the business, helping to tell the Murray’s Cheese story and building its brand.”
Kaufelt, who spent the last 25 years working at Murray's, said his goal "was simply to run the best cheese shop in Greenwich Village."
"I’m proud that we’ve been able to maintain the spirit and service of a mom-and-pop neighborhood shop amidst our growth into the national market," Kaufelt said. "I am pleased to pass the torch to our able staff, who will carry Murray’s into the future.”
Neither side provided information on the financial terms of the merger.
