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The Blue Duck Bakery Cafe is saying goodbye to its original home in Southampton Village this week.
The owners of the popular cafe, located at 30 Hampton Road, announced on Monday that it will be closing its doors on Saturday, September 15. The business has three other locations, in Riverhead, Southold and Greenport, that will remain open.
The Southampton shop was where the cafe first opened in 1999.
According to co-owner Nancy Kouris, the bakery is being forced to close because the building’s owner, Joseph Gurrera, who also owns Citarella, gave her and Keith Kouris, her husband and co-cowner, 30 days’ notice to vacate on September 1, claiming he has other plans for the building.
Mr. Gurrera declined to comment on his plans this week.
Ms. Kouris said that the bakery had been operating without a lease for the last five years, and that she and her husband had been negotiating with the building’s previous owner, Ed Bulgin, to sign a new lease—until this spring, when the building was sold to Mr. Gurrera.
“It sort of took us by surprise, and didn’t take us by surprise,” Ms. Kouris said on Monday. “We knew he had other plans for the building, but we didn’t expect this to happen in the fall.”
Mr. Kouris said on Monday that he and his wife had first set up the business on a 10-year lease with a three-year option for extension, when the building was owned by Mr. Bulgin, Lance Nill and Arturo Quiros. Mr. Bulgin and Mr. Nill sold their shares to Mr. Quiros about seven years ago.
Mr. Kouris said that Mr. Bulgin took over ownership of the building about two years ago, but had also wanted to sell the building. Mr. Kouris said that Mr. Bulgin finally told him that he would keep the building and was ready to sign a new lease—but was then told by Mr. Bulgin that the building was sold to Mr. Gurrera in the spring.
Mr. Kouris said that Mr. Gurrera told him the bakery could stay open for the summer season.
“We met [Mr. Gurrera], but he had no interest in offering a lease. I asked, ‘Why not?’ and he said he wanted to keep his options open,” Mr. Kouris said. “He was fine with going month to month, and then I asked him, ‘Well, listen, if you’re going to try to kick us out before summer season, I’m going to close up now. Why am I going to suffer the slow months when I’m not going to hit the busy months?’”
Mr. Gurrera confirmed on Monday that he purchased the building six months ago but would not comment on how much he paid for it or what his plans for the building are moving forward.
Mr. Kouris said that he and his wife have been looking for a new location in Southampton for the bakery for the last couple of years and will continue to look. In the meantime, Ms. Kouris said she and her husband will hold a celebration on September 14 to coincide with National Bakery Day and show appreciation for the business’s loyal customers.
“When you’re there for 19 years, you make friends from the customers who’ve been coming in for many years,” Ms. Kouris said. “We celebrate people with birthday cakes, anniversary cakes and wedding cakes. I think over the years we’ve made christening cakes and graduation cakes for the same person.”
She added, “We’re very, very lucky that our blue duck with attitude became a brand that has spread out.”
Jon Winkler on Sep 10, 2018