Family-Owned Butcher Shop Opens In Stamford

STAMFORD, CT — Third-generation Stamford resident Chris Deenihan has always had a passion for butchering, and he's hoping to keep the trade alive and connect with the neighborhood through his new shop, Deenihan Prime Cuts, located within New Wave Seafood at 81 Camp Ave.

Starting at 14 years old and through high school, Deenihan worked at Porricelli's Market in Greenwich, helping clean the meat department, take care of customers and handle various odds and ends. Deenihan returned to the market several years later as an apprentice butcher before moving on to become the meat manager for the Cingari family ShopRites for 17 years.

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After working at Whole Foods in Stamford for several months, Deenihan felt the community needed a butcher shop. Just before the holidays in 2025, Deenihan began seriously pursuing his own venture.

"There's a demand for this. Customers were telling me, 'I wish there was a small butcher shop where I could go and not deal with the headaches of coming to a market anymore and not getting the service I want and the knowledge I need.' So that kind of pushed me towards it," Deenihan told Patch in a phone interview this week.

A mutual friend introduced Deenihan to the owners of New Wave Seafood, who were looking for a way to pair meat with their seafood offerings.

"I love meat, I love to cook it, I love to eat it, and I want to share that with everybody else," Deenihan said. "People who really know what they're doing and know about the meat - they're becoming fewer and fewer and fewer."

Deenihan Prime Cuts officially opened on Aug. 11 with an 8-foot glass case and a 5-foot stand-up merchandising cooler. Customers can find a selection of beef, pork, poultry, lamb and specialty items.

The beef comes from Maple Brook in New Milford, CT. The meat is antibiotic- and hormone-free and grass-fed. Deenihan butchers the beef right from the carcass.

"It's not boxed beef, it's not pre-trimmed, it's not cut for you. It's old-school butchering in the purest way," Deenihan said, noting he wants to expand offerings from Maple Brook in the future.

Deenihan Prime Cuts also has Bell & Evans chicken, with whole birds, breasts, thighs, legs and wings available.

There are various marinated and seasoned meats ready for the grill, too. As the seasons change, Deenihan plans to have stuffed beef or pork brasciole, as well as stuffed pork chops, chicken breasts and other items. If customers ask for a particular piece of meat, Deenihan says he can get it.

For Deenihan, a butcher shop is more than just a business - it's a lifeline to the community.

"I want to know customers on a first-name basis, and I want them to know they can trust me. They can come and ask me for something, and I'm going to steer them in the right direction. I'm going to tell them how to cook that piece of meat, I'm going to tell them how much they need, I'm going to tell them what's best for what," Deenihan said. "I like that community kind of feeling and being the neighborhood butcher."

Helping Deenihan are his brother-in-law, wife and daughter, making it a true family effort.

"I know when a customer comes to see me, I know with full confidence they're getting the best. They're getting the best treatment, they're getting the best job and craftsmanship," he said.

In the future, Deenihan said he hopes to expand his meat selection, and his footprint into a bigger storefront.

"This is a dying trade," Deenihan said of butchering and local butcher shops. "I'm trying to do my best to keep it alive."

Deenihan's Prime Cuts is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more on Deenihan's Prime Cuts, visit their website or follow them on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.