Recession Casualties

**suntan** · 11-30-2015, 10:55 AM

Looks like Buttercream Bakery went totally kaput. When did that happen?

**Xtrema** · 11-30-2015, 10:59 AM

Originally posted by Manhattan
Overpriced and not that good. I went once and never went back.

Yup. Paid $25 for half a sandwich and a coffee. Taste no better than stuff that's half the price.

Originally posted by suntan
Looks like Buttercream Bakery went totally kaput. When did that happen?

Is that the same one with a kiosk in Market Mall by Sportchek? They were gone in the summer and equipment seized by bankruptcy handlers.

**suntan** · 11-30-2015, 11:10 AM

Dunno. Went to "The Core" yesterday and the one by the escalator was gone. Check Yelp today, looks like the main one on 17th Ave is gone too.

Bought a cake there once. It was okay, but nothing special. The girl at the counter (who I think was the owner) was a mega-bitch though.

**cycosis** · 11-30-2015, 12:00 PM

I think the biggest thing that is killing these places is the retarded rental rates.

**JRSC00LUDE** · 11-30-2015, 01:00 PM

Originally posted by cycosis
I think the biggest thing that is killing these places is the retarded rental rates.

Unless their rates were jacked on a renewal, which isn't the case of anyone opening/closing in their first year or two typically, it's still just a basic failure of due diligence in not understanding what their operating costs are actually going to be and how they're going to sustain them.

Food service has got to be one of the toughest things to make a go of and people go into it far too ignorant far too often.

**ee2k** · 11-30-2015, 01:05 PM

Corbeaux was that place where you would go to feel like you're in Paris or Brussels (wait, not really) and pay Euro-converted prices for your pastries, get a few selfies and walk away beating yourself up for going there in the first place. The prices they commanded were wrong, the concept was high stakes, and they were too big to execute what would be very niche. I have been there a few times and I can't recall a single item I would go back for. I also certainly don't miss banging my head against those lamps they have.

**suntan** · 11-30-2015, 01:08 PM

Too close to the rabble for the Upper Mount Royal cognoscenti to go there.

**ee2k** · 11-30-2015, 01:08 PM

Candella in Mission also went bust a month or two ago. Also in Mission, Cafe Artigiano has been boarded up and closed less than a year since it opened.

**suntan** · 11-30-2015, 01:11 PM

Wow. CA is actually really good. I guess not even John Manzo can eat enough to support every hipster doofus place in the "inner city".

**JordanLotoski** · 11-30-2015, 01:18 PM

Corbeaux was terrible..Wont miss that one

**lilmira** · 11-30-2015, 01:22 PM

really? dont think artigiano was opened for even a year there. I like their coffee. I buy from P&S more since it's more convenient to me. They seem to be doing ok on 4th. Price and quality are more or less the same between the two, wonder what went wrong there.

**msommers** · 11-30-2015, 01:58 PM

Corbeaux started off with a quality product but it changed over time - their cinnamon buns were a perfect example of how inconsistent things were. The first one I tried there was thin dough, perfectly baked with a lemon zest icing. It's still the best I've eaten. Other times they might as well got them from Cinnezo(sp). I heard rumour the chef started there at the beginning but more or less did less work and more supervisor role. If that's the case, great baker, poor supervisor.

They were trying to do too much all at once: bakehouse, tastings, restaurant, coffee shop. It was a massive establishment for what I believe they thought Duchess in Edmonton could be. Except Duchess is much better in literally every way. You want to feel like you're in France? Duchess is as close as it gets.

However, you guys have to remember that these guys aren't starting from nowhere, they own Fratello and their cafe Analog. They know a thing or two about what it takes to run a business.

The issue I think is that they tried to put too much out there all at once in an incredibly expensive location. The first issue that comes to mind is, how much use did that massive patio get and how expensive is it to rent that space? I mean a whole new restaurant could fit in there.

Next, they put the same products in stores right beside each other. This isn't abnormal since Tim Horton's has 3 (yes 3) fucking stores literally beside each other at the cafeteria in the university. Starbucks often has a store in Safeway and another store across the parking lot. But they don't have the following like that and to think spacing things out better should have been obvious.

The other issue, which someone else pointed out, was seating space. It's absolutely ludicrous, arrogant and pompous to charge $10 for a coffee and croissant and provide nearly zero seating area. I mean sure there are 4 chairs by the window I suppose. Sitting outside is nice for the summer but even still not many tables.

In my mind they tried to be like Duchess in Edmonton but failed miserably on all fronts by providing no seating, inconsistent product, and picking an oversized and expensive location. To me, their prices were not the issue. Lots of people in Calgary will gladly pay $10 for coffee and pastry if it's good and they can sit and have a breakfast meeting, study for a bit or relax and look at their phone. At Corbeaux this was just not an option.

**Xtrema** · 11-30-2015, 02:14 PM

Originally posted by suntan
Wow. CA is actually really good. I guess not even John Manzo can eat enough to support every hipster doofus place in the "inner city".

I always thought the Tea place will go first before CA does. But I guess competition got them as they are within throwing distance of Sebastian/Starbucks/Purple Perk.

And the Perk got good food.

**Xtrema** · 11-30-2015, 02:14 PM

double post

**JRSC00LUDE** · 11-30-2015, 02:23 PM

Originally posted by msommers
They know a thing or two about what it takes to run a business.

Not to argue, it's just funny that the rest of your post pretty much contradicts that statement entirely haha

**msommers** · 11-30-2015, 02:28 PM

Originally posted by JRSC00LUDE

Not to argue, it's just funny that the rest of your post pretty much contradicts that statement entirely haha

Yeah I can see that

But the point still stands. They have and still do run successful business but this one flopped. I just outlined why I thought so.

But it does leave one to wonder what they were thinking...or potentially who else they might have been partnered with...

**suntan** · 11-30-2015, 02:37 PM

If anything it shows just how high risk opening a food establishment really is.

**CLiVE** · 11-30-2015, 03:16 PM

I didn't mind Corbeaux. Found it very similar to the Eric Kayser concept in NYC. http://maison-kayser-usa.com/ or some of the cafes in Paris...closest we had to it in Calgary anyways. However NYC / Paris likely have the population density to pull it off....

**Rocket1k78** · 11-30-2015, 03:24 PM

11 months from start to finish has got to be a record for a place this big no?

They definitely wont be missed by me and my family either, we only tried it twice but both times it was just meh

**mr2mike** · 11-30-2015, 03:29 PM

Originally posted by suntan
If anything it shows just how high risk opening a food establishment really is.

It's extremely high risk and usually a substaintial amount of inital capital.
Large amount of marketing then trying to keep that client base when another new hipster place opens up and becomes the rage for 6 months.

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