Beloved Babylon Butcher Shop Celebrates Significant Milestone

BABYLON, NY — A beloved business in the Babylon community is passing a landmark milestone.

Stork Gourmet Market, located on 27 John Street, recently celebrated its 70th anniversary in business on May 18.

Tim Stork, its current owner, said that as a fourth-generation butcher, he’s proud to continue his family’s legacy.

“It's an amazingly proud feeling, just pulling in the parking lot every day,” he said. “I have a huge sense of pride being here.”

The family business began with his great-grandfather, Joseph, who ran a butcher shop in Queens, Stork said.

In 1952, Frank Xavier Stork, Stork’s grandfather, moved the family business to Babylon, at 40 East Main Street, after serving in the U.S. army during World War II.

The business then moved into its John Street address after a fire in 1972.

Stork told Patch that everyone, from Frank Xavier’s six children to their spouses, were involved in the shop.

“It was a really neat thing,” said Stork. “It was all I knew. Being a kid, to be in the stores and in the thick of it, it was quite an education.”

Stork said that he began working at the shop at the age of 14. He went on to work alongside his family and parents, James and Kathleen, who also owned butcher shops in East Islip and Oakdale.

“I've been a butcher for my whole life, and it's not going to change, and I'll probably do it till I die.”

In 1994, Frank Xavier retired and sold it to his son, and Stork’s uncle, Peter. He passed away in 2001, and Peter ran the store until he retired in March.

Stork said that buying the store from his uncle was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. He now runs the store with his wife, Kristie, as well as his mom and his own daughters.

The Babylon community, he said, was a huge motivation in buying the store.

“One of the main reasons why I wanted to get the store is because of where it is, more than more than what it is,” he said. ”I love the town and I've spent a lot of my life here. It’s super important to me.”

Stork told Patch that since March, he’s tried to modernize the store to fit customer’s needs. For example, the store now offers more pre-made meats and catering options.

“The world is at a faster pace right now, and the majority of families have both parents working,” he said. “They need to grab something quickly, as opposed to, you know, putting a roast in the oven for three hours.”

However, many traditions are still alive and well. The store still sells the original sauerbraten recipe, just how Frank Xavier used to make it.

“I had a customer come in, and she's older than me, who said she’s been shopping here since she was six years old,” he said. “They come here because they trust us.”

One thing that will continue to live on, Stork said, is the shop’s commitment to the community.

“There's a lot of that stuff still echoes and, our commitment to quality is, the thing that's stayed with us the whole entire time,” he said. "Trying to put out the best product that we can, and keeping everybody happy, is the most time-honored tradition in the store.”