23 responses so far ↓

• 1 yukie // Jan 11, 2011 at 12:26 pm

  So where are all of these new businesses that are going in to replace the ones that have left? I don’t get why/how all of these landlords can raise the rent when there’s nothing taking their place.

• 2 janelle // Jan 11, 2011 at 12:43 pm

  This truly is unfortunate. As people who like to support locally owned businesses, we have relied on your shop for many, many grocery items. A walk to your market for ice cream, wine or a sandwich was equally important to us. I am sad to see the market leave.

• 3 Zinck74 // Jan 11, 2011 at 1:30 pm

  Oh no!! I’m so sad, but I’m not entirely surprised. They had the BEST sandwiches and were great for last minute things. I imagine you can’t create a sustainable business on last minute grocery items especially in such a large space.

  I would think a deli in a 1/4 of the space might work well. Just cut a whole in the Northeast wall and serve it food truck style.

• 4 patti // Jan 11, 2011 at 2:47 pm

  I am very sorry to see these wonderful peolpe leave the neighborhood. They have been great suppliers of wine, food and friendship!

  FYI- The 7-11 is for sale….

• 5 Hinto // Jan 11, 2011 at 3:26 pm

  Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

  UGHHHHHHHHH

• 6 HeatherHeather // Jan 11, 2011 at 3:33 pm

  noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

  Loved this place, am very very sad to see it go.

• 7 artman51 // Jan 11, 2011 at 3:39 pm

  Sorry to hear this news. The Phinney Market has been a great shopping destination when out walking the neighborhood.

  What is happening with the 7-11?

• 8 aaron // Jan 11, 2011 at 3:44 pm

  Sadness

• 9 h2o_girl // Jan 11, 2011 at 4:03 pm

  Oh No! I loved this place – their sandwiches and salads were the best, and the people were so nice! Am very sad to see it go.

• 10 Doree // Jan 11, 2011 at 4:13 pm

  Patti – Thanks for the tip on the 7-11 being for sale! I’ve got a call in to 7-11 for more info.

• 11 PhinneyRidgian // Jan 11, 2011 at 5:27 pm

  Sigh. Another nice place to shop bites the dust. And they had such a great coffee selection, too.

• 12 Winemaker // Jan 11, 2011 at 6:40 pm

  Very sad. Though I know it’s hard to have enough margin in products when you have a small shop, it was the fact that they were a small shop that made it fun to stop in buy a sandwich, breakfast or forgotten item for dinner. They will be missed.

• 13 Blue // Jan 11, 2011 at 9:05 pm

  I’m sad to see them go too, and I second the remark about the landlord raising the rent–not sure what the landlord is expecting will take their place. Thanks ,Phinney Market, we appreciate the friendly service and will miss you!

• 14 Terri // Jan 12, 2011 at 3:02 pm

  If you want unique small shops & stores in your neighborhood they need to be supported on a regular basis and not as an afterthought.

• 15 SPG // Jan 12, 2011 at 6:30 pm

  I’ll add myself to the list of people sad to see another business closing.
  I’ve seen what rents are for businesses around here and I found it shocking. After giving it some thought a little bit of it started to make sense. When the land values skyrocketed a lot of these buildings changed hands. A building that was built in 1950 would have been paid off by 1970 or maybe 1980. When that building is sold again in 2000-2010 the cost to the new owner is likely ten times what the original cost was. Raising the rent to cover the mortgage is inevitable.
  I don’t know if this was the case with this building, but I’ve seen it happen plenty with other buildings. Meanwhile back in NYC there are still a bunch of really cool old family businesses around that don’t seem to be making money hand over fist and when you ask them how they’re making it work the first thing they’ll tell you is that grandpa bought the building when they opened the business.

• 16 Ruby // Jan 12, 2011 at 7:16 pm

  Actually, SPG, the landlord has owned the property for eons (he also owns the building across the street that has an empty storefront). But, get this, he lives in the neighborhood! Seems to me with a little flexibility these two parties could come to a meeting of the minds and create a win-win situation that would benefit the entire neighborhood. John and Angela and Co (like Wally and Lauretta before them) provide a huge service to this community and deserve our support. Our little shopping district won’t be the same when the lights go out on that corner.

• 17 john walker // Jan 12, 2011 at 7:35 pm

  this truly sucks! i can’t believe that the landlord, nick the greek, would railroad such a great place out of business by being too stubborn to negotiate a workable lease. they sure had a great business going. very sad to see them go. nobody makes lunch like these guys. crap!!!!

• 18 KP // Jan 12, 2011 at 11:18 pm

  There’s nothing in the owners’ email (or at least the portion pasted above) that says the landlord raised the rent. Has this been confirmed? I love Phinney Market and have shopped their regularly; heartbroken that they can’t come to an agreement if rent is the only issue.

• 19 Gina // Jan 13, 2011 at 2:30 pm

  i am devastated to hear PM will be closing. i echo all sentiments from above, and will be anxious to see if the space stays vacant when these wonderful people have put their heart and soul – and brought such wonderful, valued food and friendship into our neighborhood. this is truly a shame!

• 20 john walker // Jan 13, 2011 at 2:42 pm

  tell it to nick, if you know him.

• 21 Sarah // Jan 13, 2011 at 2:57 pm

  I hate to be a Negative Nancy, but I’m not entirely surprised it closed. I’m glad to hear other people had positive, friendly service when shopping there… however, every time I stopped in, all I received were glares and grumbles. No “thanks for shopping here” or “were you able to find everything.” Not even a hello. Just a transaction, without a smile. I don’t need a song and dance, but acknowledging I’m alive and not just a wallet would have been nice.

  Still, very unfortunate to see a small, local business go.

• 22 KP // Jan 14, 2011 at 6:25 am

  Sarah, I agree with you in that the new owners did not have the same rapport with customers that Wally and Loretta did. But some of the staff were great. And, frankly, I’m finding it hard to believe that Nick would have raised the rent on them. Their message says they couldn’t manage the “high” rent with their “low” volume – so it’s not necessarily fair to blame the landlord. Would be good to have clarification on that.

• 23 David Stoesz // Jan 14, 2011 at 5:55 pm

  I’m with Nancy … It felt a bit like a club I wasn’t a member of. Like there was a secret handshake or something I was missing. It struck me as a pretty amateurish operation.

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