Ex-Medical Supply Shop Bought By Company With Links To Peruvian Chain

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — A restaurant might replace a permanently shuttered medical supply store in Forest Hills, records show.

On April 28, a real estate entity (Metro 101 LLC) purchased the former longtime Jones Surgical Co. storefront, which closed a month before, according to property records.

The individual buyer of 101-21 Metropolitan Avenue, though, is listed as Augusto Yallico, a person by the same name as the CEO of Pio Pio, a Peruvian chain. Augusto Yallico is also listed as the owner of several of Pio Pio's other outposts, property records show.

On another property document, the address for Metro 101 LLC — the entity that bought the Forest Hills storefront — is listed as 32-68 85th Street, which is also linked to Pio Pio and Augusto Yallico on Open Corp Data, a corporation database website.

Pio Pio did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment asking if the Augusto Yallico who purchased the shuttered Forest Hills pharmacy is the same as the restaurant owner, and if the chain is planning to open an outpost at the Metropolitan Avenue storefront.

If it were to open a Forest Hills outpost, Pio Pio would be returning to its roots: the chain got its start in Rego Park, and has since opened a handful of well-reviewed locations across Queens, Manhattan and The Bronx.

News of the $2.4 million sale comes after Jones Surgical Co. permanently shuttered its store on the corner of Metropolitan and Continental avenues, where it had operated since the 1950s.

Co-owner Rita Lieberman cited business struggles as the reason for closing, noting that the medical supply shop is still operating a wholesale business, Patch reported.

The surgical store's distinctive green signage has reportedly been preserved and will likely be displayed at The New York Sign Museum by the end of 2022.

Related Article: Decades-Old Medical Shop In Queens To Close, Citing Business Woes