By Larry Stalcup Contributing Editor
One of New York City’s greatest marvels is the gargantuan Grand Central Terminal. It sees close to 750,000 people daily. These commuters ride hundreds of different trains and buses to and from several states to work, shop, catch a Broadway play or Knicks game, or dine at some of the world’s finest restaurants.
Like others, most of them love beef, even if burgers push $30 or more at even the mid-range eateries. Those who make the trek daily sometimes shop for food inside the Grand Central Market. Ceriello Fine Foods is one of its main establishments. And its “Prime American Beef” provides the savory answer to a can’t-miss meal when shoppers arrive home.
The Ceriello website Ceriellofinefoods.com features beef cuts and numerous other meat items long sought by those travelers, as well as residents of Ceriello’s home market in Williston Park on Long Island. Many of those customers have likely seen ads on social media, broadcast and print media furnished by the New York Beef Council (NYBC). Headquartered in Ithaca in Upstate New York, NYBC relies on funds provided by the National Beef Checkoff.
“Each year, we work to make every dollar count,” says Ashley Scoones, NYBC executive director, adding that a large part of its budget comes from state beef checkoffs where cattle outnumber people.
“We receive funding from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and South Dakota Beef Councils.”
NYBC’s 2025 Annual Report indicates that 32 percent of its funding is from state checkoffs. The beef-state funding is needed because New York’s ratio of people to cattle is 16-1, Scoones says. She points to these NYBC program efforts in 2025:
- 112 media mentions with an estimated $268 million in earned media value, representing a campaign that would have cost $275 million if paid.
- 2.9 million broadcast views across three NYC media placements, highlighting beef’s role in balanced, sustainable diets.
- 1.56 million digital ad impressions in NYC at just $13 cost per million views – demonstrating cost-effective, high-impact outreach.
Along with engaging about 3,000 youth in NYBC programs, the council helped nearly 400 producers earn Beef Quality Assurance certification. The council also worked with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to serve 124 producers who attended New York’s Stockmanship & Stewardship event.
This January, NYBC began accepting applications for Beef for the Classroom grants. The grants provide funds for schools to help educators purchase beef and related ingredients for classroom lessons. Scoones says the program encourages students to learn about nutrition, agriculture and the role beef plays in a healthy, balanced diet through interactive, real-world experiences.
Those youngsters will learn what many customers of Ceriello and other buyers of beef at small and large retailers and restaurants swear by: Beef, It’s What’s for Dinner! And some will seek a pair of those Ceriello Prime ribeyes, porterhouses or strip steaks (New York, of course), when they travel through the crowded Grand Central Terminal.
Hopefully, they won’t miss their train.
