Riverdale Fish latest store to close

As Riverdalians tended to last-minute New Year’s Eve shopping, one neighborhood staple closed its doors after 35 years of business. Located at 550 W. 235th St., Riverdale Fish greeted patrons for the last time. 

“I come at least every week. This is my place… I’m crying,” Riverdale resident Achsah Kaufman lamented at the store on Dec. 30.

Riverdale Fish was a family operation from the start. Current owner Hae “John” Lee said business took a dive in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and never really recovered. About six months ago, Mr. Lee, 56, began to consider closing the store to focus on delivery orders instead.

“I think about it. I could open another store or I could just supply the fish and take them to my former customers,” Mr. Lee said.

“We weren’t making any profit for a while,” explained Tate Lee, Mr. Lee’s 29-year-old son. “Business is slow and we couldn’t really keep up with the rent.”

In mid-December, Mr. Lee emailed Jay Holzer, his property manager from Riverdale Center, about his plan to close shop. Mr. Holzer agreed to let the family close at the end of 2015, despite having an additional three years on their lease. 

“I said, ‘Tell me what I have to do to keep you in business,’” Mr. Holzer said. “I feel terrible, but they said it’s too much work for not enough profit.”

Both the owners and Mr. Holzer said the rent never spiked for Riverdale Fish since it migrated from its Johnson Avenue space to the 235th Street location in 2003. 

“I’m not the high-rent guy,” Mr. Holzer insisted. 

Riverdale Center manages most of the commercial properties along 235th Street off Johnson Avenue, to positive reviews from business owners.

“The rents are reasonable,” said Yuval Dekel, the owner of Liebman’s Kosher Delicatessen. “They’re nice people. We’re very happy.”

Mr. Holzer said he knew of no buyers waiting for a chance to scoop up the new vacancy.

“He didn’t have anybody else to recommend to take it over,” he said of Mr. Lee.