Unger’s Flooring

915 Grand Avenue

1967 *New Haven Register* story. Photo courtesy Robert Unger.

Arnold Unger was born in the Bronx in 1917 and moved to West Haven, Connecticut as a child. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Hungary and Austria. He had an initial career managing night clubs in the New Haven area, including Jake’s on Savin Rock. By chance, he entered the flooring business after returning from overseas service in World War II, finding a job at New Haven Tile on Congress Avenue across from College Plaza. When the owner left, Unger took over the business in 1946 and also opened a smaller Unger’s Cut-Rate store on Goffe Street. In 1965 he consolidated the two stores as Unger’s Flooring on Grand Avenue near East Street. In 1980 he moved closer to downtown at the current location on Grand Avenue between Olive and Jefferson. He continued working until he passed away in 1999 at the age of 81. Arnold’s son Bobby took over the business and continues to operate it today. Bobby attributes the store’s longevity to its good reputation for quality service. The year 2021 marked the 75th year of Unger’s doing business in New Haven.

In 2023, Unger Floor Covering moved to 1 Grand Avenue, a historic building on the Quinnipiac River in Fair Haven. Currently 915 Grand is slated to become new apartments.