The 9th Street Bakery closed back in June, as we first reported. Owners Oleg and Tetyana Kucherenko said that they couldn't afford the 38 percent rent hike that the landlord requested with a new lease.
At that time we heard that a juice/smoothie place was taking over the space. Sure enough, here ya go. We spotted the workers putting up the signage last evening...
It's a beQu — for Beyond Quality. The company sells it juices at various health-food stores and what not. Apparently there was a storefront in Cobble Hill that is now closed.
Pretty tough competition for this kind of product right around here — there are two locations of Juice Press close by on East 10th Street ... not to mention Liquiteria on Second Avenue and East 10th Street ... and Organic Avenue on Third Avenue and East Ninth Street... and Commodities on First Avenue near East 10th Street...
In any event, we wouldn't mind one of these from the Bakery right about now...
[File photo by Derek Berg]
Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: 9th St. Bakery is closing after 87 years
This makes me feel physically ill. BeQu? Try MaMe - Mass Mediocrity.
ReplyDeleteOh, fer cryin' out loud, you HAD to put in a picture of the poppyseed danish?!
ReplyDeleteI miss that place so much. Their light rye bread made the best grilled cheese sandwiches. And they had real food. I didn't use more than a loaf a week (plus a couple of danishes and the babka I'd take to coffee hour at 15th St. Meeting House), but that loaf was the basis of so many sandwiches packed at home. Good sandwiches.
:-(
So begins the revolving door of businesses renting this space. In the early 90's when I lived in Chelsea for several years it was the beginning of the espresso bar boom with a new place opening up each month until there was such a density of these places the next step could only be watching them close one by one. Starbucks finally hit town and that was the end of the small startups with the exception of few places that offered good and less "corporate" coffee. Frozen yogurt, juice bars, etc... will continue to come in go in one form or another as if everyone has the same idea at the same time to open one and few will have the legs to survive which ever food trend they are riding.
ReplyDeleteNow now - I'm sure 87 years from now people will be upset when the beQu closes after becoming a much beloved landmark.
ReplyDeleteWho am I kidding? F*ck this place.
I miss the bakery, never so much as at holidays. Still haven't found a pumpernickel w/ raisins to give to my 92-yr-old neighbor...grrrr.
ReplyDeleteNice to know that Poppy seed danish is f-able. ; )
ReplyDelete[sigh]
ReplyDeleteBeyond Quality? You don't want to go beyond quality. When it comes to quality, once you get there, you ought to stay the fuck put. Quality is a fine enough destination, no need to go sniffing around for something better.
ReplyDeleteI miss these people. They had the best breads and babkas.
ReplyDeleteMelanie
East Village Corner
Happy Holidays to all. Best for the New Year.
Probably won't even last 87 weeks.
ReplyDeleteChrist.. I'd rather it be a DQ!
ReplyDeleteThat sign looks like it came from a turnpike gas station mini-mart.
ReplyDeleteJust who is drinking all this goddamn juice?
ReplyDelete@ VH McKenzie...people who go to the toilet a lot. I've been wondering the same damn thing.
ReplyDeleteJuice bars have populated all over this town since the 80's and were only somewhat less common as far back as the 60's.
ReplyDeleteGet the fuck over it. This isn't Jamba Juice.
You miss 9th st Bakery? Take it up with The Bean.
For all those fooled int a juice "diet", we provide this public service announcement:
ReplyDeleteJUICE IS JUST AS FATTENING AS SODA.
Thank you for your attention
- East Villager
Logically, the only thing that can be "beyond quality" is the lack of quality. Truly a marketing genius came up with this name.
ReplyDelete- East Villager
@ East Villager
ReplyDeleteAll food is fattening.
I agree with Goggle as to the turnpike mini-mart sign.
ReplyDeleteIf the photo rendered correctly, the color green on the sign is awful. It's not a "healthy" shade of green. The green on their website looks ok. The green on this sign looks awful. Color-matching is important sometimes.
If you haven't noticed, Burger King and McDonald's colors are sort of similar. The reason is those colors are "hungry" inducing. Green means "NOT RIPE" to many brains. That's why it's a bad color for restaurants/food establishments. Especially the color on this sign.
I realize the stores that take over these leases have to charge more but you know what kills me about these "juice places?" Besides the obviousness of killing local businesses, they charge TWICE the price for all of their "natural, organic, raw" items. I mean really - who the fuck can afford this shit?
ReplyDeleteBeQu? BiMe.
ReplyDelete5:18 PM
ReplyDeleteYou're wrong and unfortunately East Villager is right. Whole fruit is good for you, but turning it into fluid reduces nutrients and worse, eliminates fiber causing it pass quickly through the stomach before it fully metabolizes. Juice is only minimally better than soda. Over-consuming soda or fruit juice results in similar weight gain.