The newspaper remembers Karem's Meats: "Closed after 53 years, remembered for selection, service."

Previously noted here.

Consider it newspaper's "official" obit.

As the photo above illustrates, there are places where Karem's still is "open"; the ghost sign at the old location remained affixed throughout the period of Plaza Drive operation, and persists to the present day even though the building was razed.

Weird, though quintessentially New Albanian.

Karem's Meats, closed after 53 years, remembered for selection, service, by Danielle Grady (News and Tribune)

NEW ALBANY — Almost one year after a change in ownership and seventh months after switching locations, Karem’s Meats in New Albany closed last week after 53 years in business, dismaying generations of locals who visited the meat market for its fresh selection and customer service.

“…We just weren’t making projections,” said Matt Nash, who bought Karem’s Meats from Greg Karem last March. “The move hurt us more than we expected it to.”

Nash, who is also a New Albany city councilman, had grown up around Karem’s and thought purchasing the business was a “good opportunity.” But after a new company purchased Karem’s strip center to raze it, Nash moved the meat market from its longtime State Street location to a building three miles away along Plaza Drive. Many customers didn’t follow him despite the addition of a deli. By January, Nash was no longer able to pay his bills, and felt that he couldn’t keep the business open, especially while supporting a young family.

Greg Karem, who sold Karem’s after five to six years of serving as caretaker to his wife, said he was disappointed that the shop had closed, but hopes Nash “lands on his feet.”

Sadly, Karem's Meats has closed its doors.

With 225 shares on Facebook since the 19th of February, this will come as old news to many of you, but note that Karem's Meats has closed.

AFTER 53 YEARS OF SERVING NEW ALBANY, KAREM’S MEATS REGRETS THAT THEY MUST CLOSE THEIR DOORS. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE THAT HAS BEEN A PART OF KAREM’S MEATS SINCE THEY OPENED IN 1965. KAREM’S HAS ENJOYED BEING A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND APPRECIATE THE LOYALTY FROM THE CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE PATRONIZED OUR HOMETOWN MEAT MARKET FOR GENERATIONS

It's been only seven months since Karem's enjoyed a rebirth.

Karem's Meats: Grand (re)opening and customer appreciation day is Saturday, July 29.

Indie business longevity: "Karem's Meats is New Albany's locally owned Meat Market since 1965."

Earlier in 2017, Karem's shifted to a new location at 3306 Plaza Drive, off Grant Line Road (near Aldi and NABC's original location). This weekend, they're celebrating.

Indie business ownership is rewarding.

It's also unrelenting trench warfare, especially in a monopolistic system of terminally ill capitalism, now firmly jigged toward chains and franchises.

Perhaps the relocation of an indie business is the most difficult of all these tricks. Customers develop habits, and they're hard ones to break. There isn't always time to adjust, or to develop a new shtick. 

I'm reminded of my experience working at the old Scoreboard Liquors, which was situated for quite some time on the 100 block of West Spring, just across the street from the federal courthouse.

In 1987, the liquor store's owners were told the building was being sold, and their lease wouldn't be renewed. They had a year to make a decision, and eventually opted to move the store all the way across town, to a fixer-upper on the corner of Beharrell and E. Spring (it had been a Night Owl food mart decades previously).

Scoreboard made the move; Chase Bank now occupies the space where the store and Cadillac Lanes bowling alley once stood.

Jim and Ed had nicely remodeled the building at Beharrell and Spring, but while highly visible to traffic speeding past -- well, the basic problem was that traffic kept speeding past, because access was feasible only when traveling westbound. I didn't know it at the time, but I was witnessing one of several reasons for traffic calming and human-scaled streets.

Neighborhood trade made up for some of it, and yet the fact is that the new location never really jelled. Eventually the license was purchased by a competitor, and Scoreboard Liquors passed into history's mists.

I feel awful for Matt Nash, who's as good a bloke as I know. May his next step be more rewarding -- and as an extremely reluctant capitalist, this isn't to imply money alone.

Sleep's more important in the end.

Karem's Meats: Grand (re)opening and customer appreciation day is Saturday, July 29.

Indie business longevity: "Karem's Meats is New Albany's locally owned Meat Market since 1965." Earlier in 2017, Karem's shifted to a new location at 3306 Plaza Drive, off Grant Line Road (near Aldi and NABC's original location). This weekend, they're celebrating.

KAREM'S MEATS Grand Opening Customer Appreciation Day

KAREM'S will be hosting a Grand Opening Customer Appreciation Day. Come visit our New Plaza Drive location and enjoy some grilled burgers and dogs and other BBQ favorites.

A non-meat component for adults has been added.

As part of Karem's Meats Grand Opening and Customer Appreciation Day on Saturday July 29 we will welcome two local businesses to help celebrate! The New Albanian Brewing Company and The River City Winery will be offering samples of their products from 12-2.

Karem's Meats is up and rolling on Plaza Drive.

Karem's Meats has reopened at the store's new location: 3306 Plaza Drive, off Grant Line Road and a stone's throw from NABC's Pizzeria & Public House. Thanks to Matt Lorch for the purloined photos. They're so good I just had to use them.

Karem's Meats to reopen on Tuesday, May 23 at Plaza Drive.

Tuesday, May 23 is the projected date for Karem's Meats to reopen in its new Plaza Drive location.

3306 Plaza Drive, New Albany, Indiana
Phone: (812) 945-9893
Twitter: @karemsmeatsNA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karemsmeatsNA/

Matt Nash to purchase Karem's Meats, which will relocate to Plaza Drive (off Grant Line Road) on or about May 1.

The Green Mouse has learned that 5th district councilman Matt Nash will join the ranks of independent local business owners.

Nash has reached a deal to purchase the iconic Karem's Meats, New Albany's oldest meat market and deli.

Karem's will continue to operate at its current location off State Street until on or around May 1, when Nash will assume ownership, and the business will move to new digs at 3306 Plaza Drive, a space many readers will recall as the former home of NA Exchange (and before that, MyBar and Main Menu). It's a stone's throw from New Albanian Brewing Company, of Grant Line Road.

Once again, the target date for the move and ownership change is May 1. You can follow the art of this particular deal on social media:

Instagram: karemsmeats
Twitter: Karem's Meats
Facebook: Karem's Meats (the new page)

Karem's in the News and Tribune on the occasion of the shop's 50th anniversary in 2015.