Beloved NYC Cheese Shop Is Closing Its Final Location
We've seen dozens of restaurants close their doors over the last few years, and the closures have happened for a variety of reasons. The pandemic, rising costs, a shifting desire in customer palates and remodeling have all led to a number of different closures in major American cities.
One beloved cheese shop, facing the ever-changing restaurant business, is closing its doors at its last location in New York City.
The Bedford Cheese Shop will shut down its location at 67 Irving Place in Gramercy, citing "an extensive, multi-year renovation" at the location.
"This challenge, coupled with other forces outside our control — rising costs of doing business in New York City, increasing prices of products and supplies, and broader economic uncertainty — has made a path forward unfeasible at this time.”
The first Bedford Cheese Shop - a female-owned and operated business - was established on Williamsburg's Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. The pandemic forced it to close in 2020, ending a 17-year stint for the flagship location.
The shop was so popular that it expanded the Brooklyn location in 2016 to include a wine bar and an expanded menu that proved popular with locals.
"We know that change is a constant, and with every challenge comes the possibility of new beginnings," the shop said on Instagram, announcing the closure of the Manhattan location this week.
"For now, closing the Shop is a necessary step that will give us the space and time to reassess and reimagine what the next chapter of Bedford Cheese Shop might look like."
Fans and others in the industry sent well wishes and condolences in the comment section.
"So sorry to hear this! This is a hell of a time to be a small business! Sending y’all lots of love & light!," one fan said.
Sad news! We stopped by last year while in NYC. Loved meeting everyone and seeing this wonderful gem in the cheese world," another fan noted.
The restaurant closed its message with a salute to the artisanal cheese makers who helped stock the shop's shelves, and it urged fans to visit in the weeks ahead of its impending closure.
We'll see what the future holds for the Bedford Cheese Shop and for small restaurants and eateries all around an ever-changing New York City.