Sunday, January 20, 2008

Treet's Bakery Cafe closes.

Saturday was the swan song for Treet’s Bakery Café, which opened in late February, 2007, in the Wilcox Block at 133 E. Market St.

This news comes as a disappointment, but perhaps we should begin its consideration by injecting a few drams of realism into the discussion. The average life span of restaurants is less than five years, and even more startling, roughly 90% of independent operators go out of business before their third birthday, so taken in this context, the demise of Treet’s can hardly be regarded as exceptional.

Of course, knowing the statistics does little to assuage our sadness and regret that Teresa’s efforts fell short. She worked awfully hard, and had a number of friends who worked hard helping her, and still it wasn’t enough to survive. Unfortunately, all the enthusiasm and elbow grease in the world can do no more than modify the unfavorable odds for any restaurant start-up. They cannot make the inexorable laws of business life magically irrelevant, and when it comes to restaurants, the facts of life are remarkably harsh, something that may not always be evident to the customer.

Competition is vicious and the marketplace is infuriatingly volatile. One must shape and configure a physical space, work out all the details pertaining to infrastructure, create an excellent product, price it correctly, find a competent team to help sell the product, manage that team properly, and at the end of the day, still reckon with a paper-thin margin … and all that comes before the week’s proceeds go to pay for the suddenly malfunctioning oven, without which the doors cannot be opened tomorrow.

Obviously, a multi-faceted skill set is necessary, improvisational abilities are paramount, and the testing process is merciless. Fail at any one component, and the whole edifice wobbles. Fail at two, and collapse is likely. Sometimes every single thing about it functions perfectly … and the business still doesn’t succeed owing to conditions entirely outside the operator’s control.

We’ve been here before. I wrote the following words after Bistro New Albany closed last October:

It's remarkably easy for people who can do no better than "start up" the occasional rag picker's business or do contracting work without permits to understand how difficult a genuine paradigm shift is to achieve. All of downtown New Albany currently is engaged in that paradigm shift, and it's a work in progress that unfortunately will have its ups and downs. Bistro New Albany's demise is a downer, but within it are seeds of positive developments.

Likewise, I lament the passing of Treet’s, but I view its demise in the same vein as that of BNA’s. Life itself proceeds on a multi-dimensional chessboard, and simplicities are seldom what they seem. An opportunity now exists. Someone’s loss is another’s gain.

And so on.

The very first “microbrewery” of the contemporary era was New Albion in California, and it did not survive the decade of the 1970’s, but rising from its wreckage was Mendocino Brewing Company, which has persevered in one or another incarnation ever since.

My company started brewing its own beer in its 15th year of business overall, and only after we acquired the brewing equipment at a considerable discount from the defunct Tucker/Oldenberg operation. Now, more than five years later, we're looking to repeat the Darwinian process. For a variety of reasons, the coming year stands to be a difficult one for smaller brewing companies in America. That's bad, and some of them will fold as a result. Their brewhouses will come up for sale, helping to transform what has been a premium-priced seller's market into one more favorable for buyers -- buyers like NABC, which is looking for a larger kit in order to expand.

Let’s hope for a similar break at 133 E. Market.

---

After the preceding was written, this arrived from Teresa via e-mail:

Treet’s will close its doors on Saturday, January 19,2008. We would like to thank our manyloyal customers for their support, assistance, encouragement and contributions;

the recipes,
the bus tubs,
the newspapers and magazines,
the napkins folding,
the coffee making,
the light hanging,
the schlepping,
the dishwashing,
the scrubbing and sweeping,
the advertising,
the printing,
the plants and flowers,
the errand running
etc, etc, etc.


Never has a business been so blessed with friends andsupporters. We regret that we can no longer be a part of the community and wish all of Downtown New Albany’s residents and businesses and all of our customers and friends the best of luck and a happy and prosperous future.

Sincerely,
Teresa, Terri, Annie, Stephen, Samantha, Claire,Morgan and Kaila.

15 comments:

  1. Sad to see Treet's go, but at least The Bergmans (owners of the building who live upstairs) and Teresa have created a wonderful restaurant/cafe space waiting for another investor.

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  2. This is really sad news. Treet's had become my favorite lunch time place. A sad, sad loss for downtown.

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  3. It's hard to be sanguine about this. It had become important to me and to our business.

    I do wish Teresa had reached out for a way to keep it going. I've no doubt that many would have stepped up to tide her over.

    Shall we commit to making the next pioneer successful by putting our purchasing dollars where our mouths are?

    TNA refers to the odds against a successful restaurant venture. I don't want to mention the odds against independent booksellers, which are demonstrably higher. We're grateful for the support of this community. While I'll grant that there are more alternatives for dining, this community is diminished by the loss of Treet's.

    It could have been different. Teresa, we'll miss you. Gosh, couldn't you have let us know in advance so we could have found a way to keep it going?

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  4. I was a lunch time regular there. Every friday with friends and neighbors.

    I had no idea. I'm not sure what else could have been done. She was busy almost every day. ESNA helped establish her business on Saturdays and almost everyone I knew that lived in Floyd County tried to go as much as possible.

    I'm hurt and disappointed.

    I wonder if my councilman ever visited Treets. You know to help with the upcoming recession and all.

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  5. according to most leading economists and investors, we are indeed heading to a recession, read the news Ceece.

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  6. ecology warrior:

    You're a dick.

    That is all.

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  7. It is easy to lament on the passing of a business after it's gone. Oh, so sad...

    Well,for Teresa it is more than sad. It's her livelihood we're talking about here, with a daughter to support no less.

    I, too, believe there were many who would have helped keep Teresa afloat, had they known of the dire circumstances (paraphrasing, of course). Many of us feel that. Is it too late? Would a week of reorganizing and making a new plan bring Treet's back to life?

    How many of us are willing to put our time and/or money to help the hand that fed us, and to help a neighbor in need? I am willing if Teresa is. Anybody else? hjfeese@aol.com

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  8. I'm heartbroken! I will help - can we do something helen???

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  9. This is indeed sad, but rumor has it, Treets will have company very soon in the out of business catagory. Back to Back blows for downtown.
    The music center is also packing up and moving from the New Albany Inn to the Louisville Stained glass building. Most times in this city, even moving one building next door is an instant death warrant for a building.
    Thank God Conner's Place is still going strong and adding new tablefare, games, etc.

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  10. you know we're in.

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  11. I'm starting a new Tuesday thread with a new posting on the marquee.

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  12. Hello All,
    Thanks for the kind thoughts and commentary. The reason Treet's has gone under is simple economics. I will miss my regular customers and being in the daily mix of the downtown social life but the truth is Treet's needed to attract more customers, more often.

    I agree that Treet's demise may benefit another business. I certainly hope it does. I failed to build the better mousetrap but someone else may have success.
    I think the most important thing is to make sure some business goes into the space as quickly as possible. The "ghost town" ambiance of Downtown benefits no one. The more empty storefronts- the longer the revitalization will take.
    I hope the next business that takes that space will have the benefit of a Downtown with more retail businesses and more street life and foot traffic.
    I really believe that will be the key.

    I will still be here in New Albany doing what I can to make things work. I still believe that urban renewal will be the wave of the 21st Century. It will happen, even here.
    Thanks for everything,
    Treet

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  13. yes Ceece maybe I am but at least I read the news, may I suggest The Economist or The New Republic? I did enjoy Treets on occasion, but perhaps the demographics of New Albany isn't enough to sustain that type of business in that particular location.

    I don't think Steve Price can be blamed for its closure

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  14. Tim, you're such a fool. If you'd just mind your own business. My comment, which was not directed at your or had anything to do with you, was in reference to the city council meeting in which Price discussed our "upcoming recession". In fact two posts before Roger even chided Price stating he was going to open a restaurant named "Recession Cafe".

    So before you try to call me out on something ridiculous, try and get all your facts, or better yet BUTT OUT!

    I am fully aware of our current economic state what with having to pay my own mortgage and all. I can also read and do so on a regular basis. Everything from "mommyblogs" to news feeds.

    You have continued to call me out on one ridiculous thing after the next of which you have NO knowledge (my career in advertising, the military to my latest sarcastic comment) and for the life of me I can't figure out why.

    Thanks again for your concern and reading recommendations.

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  15. Any more posts not on topic, and I'll be deleting them.

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