After being in business for five decades, The Royal Rib House in Bedford Stuyvesant is shutting down, reports Patch.
The owners of the neighborhood institution are retiring and putting their building at 303 Halsey St. on the market.
Known for its Southern specialties like the slow-baked ribs that would fall of the bone, the takeout restaurant always attracted long lines of customers.
The family-run business was launched by North Carolina native Calvin Grier, who came to New York City in the early 1960s, according to a profile by the NY Times. While driving around the city as a cab driver, he discovered the storefront at 303 Halsey Street and decided to fulfill his long-held dream of opening a restaurant.
The Royal Rib House quickly became a neighborhood staple and gained great notoriety for its slow-brewed barbecue sauce. After people started bringing empty bottles to fill them up with the sweet and tangy sauce, Grier decided to put a label on it and sell it at the restaurant and local shops.
Eventually, Grier's daughter Carole and his grandson Jason Barnett took over the business.
Now, the restaurant and the entire building, including a two-bedroom apartment on the third floor and a one-bedroom apartment on the second floor, are up for sale. The Realtor.com lists the two-family, three-story building as a "great opportunity" for entrepreneurs looking to live above their next business.
