Confusing ‘Message’ Painted on Storefront in Poughkeepsie

The storefront of a former Poughkeepsie deli has a hard-to-understand message painted outside.

Last month, we learned that the owners of a popular deli in Poughkeepsie had permanently closed their doors after only being open for less than a year.

New Deli Opens in Poughkeepsie, NY

Back in June of 2025, the F & A Gourmet Deli opened its doors at 200 Hooker Ave in Poughkeepsie, NY, replacing the popular Foxhole Deli.

The deli, which was the second location for the new owners, offered everything you would expect to find at most delis, including sandwiches, burgers, paninis, wraps, Halal food, and much more. After its grand opening in June, the future looked promising, but unfortunately, it didn't last long.

Deli Closes

Eight months later, customers were surprised to see that the windows outside the deli were covered in paper and that it had permanently closed.

It's unclear why they closed, but soon after, while I was driving along Hooker Ave, I passed the deli and noticed something that didn't seem right.

SEE ALSO: Popular Convenience Store Looking to Expand in Upstate New York

So I turned around and went back to investigate...LOL.

What Does This Message Say?

As you can see in the picture above, it appears that someone decided to vandalize the outside of the former deli by painting a message on the glass windows.

I'm not sure exactly what the vandals were trying to say because the message isn't very clear. It appears to say something about "cash cattle" and the "feds". I've tried to decipher the message for a while now and have no clue.

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If you can do better, please use our station app above and text us what you think it says.

As far as the vandalism goes, I hate to see any building get defaced like this. I don't understand it. It's unclear if police are investigating this incident or not, but I do have a message to whoever's responsible for writing the message.

I am by no means encouraging anyone to do anything like this, but if you're going to go out of your way to commit a crime and paint a message for all to see, maybe next time make sure people can read what you're saying!