Gourmet grocer and New York institution Balducci's is quietly closing the doors to many of its locations. Though a few outposts will remain, it's sad to see this food mecca falling by the wayside. It doesn't really come as a huge surprise to hear that the chain was hurting - while their made-to-order sandwiches (one of the best portobello and mozzarella on multi-grain sandwiches I've ever had!) and other delish items are superb, they are by no means cheap - so, given the recession and all, this news isn't exacly out of left field. Regardless, I think it's unfortunate - even moreso upon learning how Balducci's changed after being bought in 1999... perhaps the re-branding overhaul didn't work out for the best after all. As reported in the NYTimes by Cara Buckley:"In the end, the markets bore little resemblance to the mom-and-pop fruit and
vegetable stand that Louis Balducci, an Italian immigrant, opened in 1946.
In 1972, he moved the shop to its culinarily groundbreaking Sixth Avenue site,
where he introduced many city dwellers to what were then considered exotic
foodstuffs like virgin olive oil and buffalo mozzarella. But some regulars said
Balducci’s lost its soul after Sutton Place Gourmet bought the store for $26.5
million in 1999. The company closed the flagship location four years later, and
then opened and rebranded other shops under the Balducci name."
If only Balducci's could make a sort of grand return to its roots, perhaps the remaining stores can indeed flourish. Maybe they could even break the mold and prove that "gourmet" doesn't have to always break the bank (wishful thinking?).
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