Salty Pork Bits, a shop peddling handcrafted salami and other charcuterie, is closing its brick-and-mortar location on Butler Street to transition to an online-only marketplace.
Chef Justin Severino, the owner and a four-time James Beard Award nominee, emphasized that the move is not a blow to the business but rather a natural step in efforts to rebuild and grow as pandemic restrictions loosen. The physical storefront’s closure — the last day is Saturday — will allow him to focus his time and energy on expanding Salty Pork Bits’ online presence while maintaining his restaurant, Morcilla.
“We just had two years of really confusing decision-making processes and things changed by the day and by the minute, and we had to react to that to stay open,” he said. “And now we're getting to a place where we can settle right back into what we set out to do and that's what we're doing.”
Also in Lawrenceville, Morcilla, which has been lauded by Bon Appetit for its fresh take on Spanish cuisine, utilizes much of the salumi produced by Severino and his team. Morcilla’s 2200-square-foot basement was converted last year into a USDA-inspected facility for making cured meats — products customers can then purchase through Salty Pork Bits’ website.
The change is a return to the shop’s original business model. When Salty Pork Bits launched in 2018, it was an online-only charcuterie subscription service; customers could order regular shipments and have cured meats delivered to their doorsteps.
In 2019, Severino and his business partner and wife Hilary Prescott-Severino opened a pop-up shop for Salty Pork Bits in the Strip District. After its smashing success, they opened a permanent location the following July: Severino noted that one of his business partners owns the building at 5308 Butler St. and was willing to rent the storefront to the business during the pandemic.
Having the physical storefront helped both Salty Pork Bits and Morcilla stay afloat amid COVID-induced challenges, Severino said. In 2020, when customers had extra time on their hands but weren’t willing to dine indoors, he recalled, Salty Pork Bits’ curbside pickup option proved a convenient — and popular — way to access his fare.
Now, though, Severino said the storefront will be rented to another business. But he emphasized that the change is a positive one, and in line with the business’ long-term plan. “At this point, we’ve gone through so much with COVID,” he said. “It’s really not about getting emotional about these businesses as much as it’s about doing the right thing for the business, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Salami superfans need not despair: Customers will still be able to purchase their favorite Salty Pork Bits products – which range from monthly subscription boxes of handcrafted salami to a variety of accouterments, fig jam to sardines – for home delivery or pickup at Morcilla. Morcilla, which Severino called a “big, bright, shining beacon,” is still very much open for business. Severino also said he plans to open Salty Pork Bits popups during the holiday season in the future.
The shop is offering special discounts in honor of the storefront’s closure — customers can place orders for pickup on Friday or Saturday between the hours of noon and 5 p.m.
But though the Butler Street location will be no more, Severino was sure to clarify: “Salty Pork Bits is not closing.” He added: “We just wanted to focus on making a really delicious product.”
First Published: June 8, 2022, 10:00 a.m.
Updated: June 8, 2022, 10:10 a.m.
