A big hurt is about to hit the Ivy Hill/Park Boulevard side of Lake Merritt. A recent report shows the iconic spot, Merritt Bakery, is tittering on the edge of bankruptcy.
It seems the bakery/restaurant is up to its neck in debt and may close even with this recent $150,000 city redevelopment loan. The cause for its woes are a myriad of possibilities; the economy, an outdated business plan, changing times, and prices that are too high. The owners point the finger at the smaller number of parking spaces, thanks to next-door Lucky's. Whatever the reason, things look bleak. Many people are saying publicly that even with the city money, Merritt Bakery is cooked and that is a very bad thing for my neighborhood.
Folks here are still shook over the Parkway disaster. After a long season of gloom, a bit of sunshine came in with the recent Oakland Museum re-opening, but now it looks like Merritt Bakery is bringing back the overcast.
It's sad to see this happen, especially when we're not seeing new businesses coming in. That's actually true of the larger Lake Merritt/Grand Lake district which is struggling to attract people to Lakeshore Avenue and the area around the theater. Other districts like Temescal and the Uptown are having better luck.
Hopefully, Merritt Bakery will whip up a better business plan that includes a heavy dose of marketing and cheaper prices. If not, brace yourself neighbors.
That'll be so sad. It's a landmark. Of course, they do need a bit of revamping, sexier desserts/baked goods, but that should be the place where people go!
ReplyDeleteThe neighborhood won't be all that bad once the new, reconstructed Walgreens is complete. It has really helped to have the new, bigger one at 14th & Broadway (at the former GAP store across from the old Walgreens location). They even have room now for cool Oakland souvenirs there. As for the E.18th one, if it draws many more people, that will lead to further demand of places to open in that area.
ReplyDeleteWalgreens is not a name that a whole city will be a fan of, but there is alot that can be bought there: food, drink, supplies, and of course, the pharmacy, photo lab, and much more.
Merritt Bakery is failing for one main reason - It serves terrible food.
ReplyDeleteI can not believe that my tax dollars were spent to keep that place open even one second longer.