Oct. 16, 2018 By Nathaly Pesantez

The Butcher Block, the longstanding Irish supermarket, is steadily working on its expansion onto Queens Boulevard, and plans to wrap up construction some time in late November.

The supermarket, located at 43-46 41st St., began working on expanding about a year and a half ago, but faced some delays in the process, according to Noel Gaynor, co-owner of the Butcher Block.

The work includes an additional entrance on 40-15 Queens Blvd. a store once occupied by Pure Spa & Salon that is now connected to the Butcher Block in a loop through the rear of the lot.

Automatic sliding doors can already be seen under the metal roll down gate on the Queens Boulevard side.

When completed, the expansion will allow for the Butcher Block to sell more products, including groceries and meats, and customers will see more hot food on display. The new entrance is also expected to bolster its already strong and steady business.

“It’s based on the boulevard, so it should help,” Gaynor said.

The supermarket, founded in 1995 by Gaynor and his business partner, Mike Roche, is known for its range of meats, including blood sausages and house-cured bacon, along with its hearty sandwiches and daily specials.

It also carries imported Irish and British products, and even delivers local and county Irish newspapers to area homes.

The Sunnyside staple has gained a steady following in its more than two-decade run, with the owners estimating that a third of the shop’s customers are Irish.

The supermarket first operated out of a store on the south side of Queens Boulevard between 41st and 42nd Streets, but a massive fire in 2003 forced the business to move to its current location.