Crafting Custom On The Upper East Side

Ferdinand Schaller was a man that took the craft of meat seriously. So much that with only $10 in his pocket and an apprenticeship as a butcher and sausage maker in his native Germany, he immigrated to the U.S. In time, he opened what’s now the oldest German butcher shop, on Second Avenue near 86th Street, Schaller & Weber. Both Schaller and his partner Antonio Weber opened the shop in 1937. Nearly 80 years have passed and the family continues to take their craft seriously — it’s one of the last German butcher shops in the Yorkville neighborhood. Current owner Jeremy Schaller is the third-generation family member running the business. He took up that responsibility in August. At a young age, Jeremy knew he would continue the family’s legacy.

“My grandfather when I was a kid told me this is what you’re going to do in life,” he said. “So it was pretty much straightforward from the start.”

Prior to taking over, Jeremy worked behind the scenes, doing marketing and sales for eight years.

With younger eyes now on the front lines, Jeremy works to keep the business relevant. “We’re always keeping it kind of old-school, keeping the heritage alive but kind of making it a little up to speed,” he said. Although his goal is to introduce a younger clientele to the delights of the traditional German products, he’s also stocking curry ketchup and bacon peanut brittle among the smoked sausage links that dangle above the showcase.

One of the challenges Jeremy said he faces is keeping his older clients satisfied. Since those regulars are familiar with the shop’s traditional ways, Jeremy faces “a juggling act” when it comes to introducing changes, he said. He hopes that by introducing German beers and having a chef in-house will get a more of mixed crowd to stop in.

Lobel’s and Ottomanelli’s butcher shops are also Upper East Side mainstays but have so far never directly competed with Schaller & Weber.

“If there’s one place that there’s enough people to spread out the competition, it’s New York City,” said Jeremy.

The shop stands out by specializing in pork but also sells poultry and sweets.

Yorkville has changed a lot since the butcher shop opened, with many staples treasured by the German community having disappeared. The amount of Germans who have immigrated to America and settled in Yorkville is high. Catering to their tastes keeps them close to their heritage. “They need something that reminds them of home,” Jeremy said.

Groups of people who take tours of the German-tinged Yorkville always stop by the butcher shop. It’s one of the very few spots with a German heritage, and Jeremy said he’s proud of maintaining that aspect. In fact, he hopes to expand to other neighborhoods.

“We’re the last remnants of old New Yorkville,” Jeremy said, “and we have to be here.”