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Milk Street Cafe files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; cites ongoing decline of downtown workforce
By adamg on Wed, 06/26/2024 - 9:45am
Milk Street Cafe, one of downtown Boston's few kosher options, last week filed for Chap. 11 bankruptcy protection, listing a bank that gave it a federally backed loan to help it survive the pandemic and its landlord as its two largest creditors.
The Boston Business Journal reports business remains down due to the ongoing decline in the number of people going downtown for work, but that the restaurant and caterer is hopeful it can survive after a Chap. 11 reorganization.
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Comments
Wow, Christopher Kimball must be in bad shape
If he can steal another restaurant's name, he can take the blame for whatever happens to them.
not “another” restaurant
Christopher Kimball's Milk Street is a publisher and cooking school, not a restaurant. They do not sell food to the public. They are not a caterer. The courts have determined that the business does not compete with Milk Street Cafe in any significant way.
It was a bad ruling
Two culinary businesses, both where food is prepared, both physically adjacent.
Milk Street Cafe was well known and established. Kimball could have taken any other name but he decided to be an uncreative jerk.
it was a fair ruling - one sells food, the other doesn’t
If anything, Kimball’s use of the street name may have attracted a few out-of-town tourists to the neighborhood, and done nothing to dissuade local customers of Milk Street Cafe.
The linked article ascribes the post-covid lack of patronage from business customers as the source of their troubles, not competition from a non-competitor. It also implies the owners may attempt to weather bankruptcy instead of closing everything down.
Loved eating there
When I worked at Brown Bros. Good quality, not stingy, professional, down to earth employees. Too much pretentious fake nice in most trendy establishments these days.
A literal haven ...
For fund accountants and fund administrators from BBH, State Street, etc.
They should've rebranded as Fund Street Cafe ;)
Go to Caterer
I don't think I've ever actually eaten in the restaurant. I suspect that this has to do with lost catering business.
They were our go-to caterer for in-person meetings because they provided kosher meals and also ably handled allergy issues. Because they didn't use vans - usually push carts - they were never late.
Assets
Why is the business buying a 2023 Tesla if they are 2M in the hole?
For a while they were doing
For a while they were doing dinner deliveries to residential neighborhoods. That was a good idea, since there aren't a lot of kosher meat options around here. They should keep doing it, and be sure to promote it so everyone is aware.
I'm a little surprised
I'm a little surprised because they are busy most days. Its certainly quiet there on fridays, though. Hopefully they can pull through like Clover has after Chapter 11.
‘Tis a shame
Despite the fact it appears busy, my guess is Milk Street’s bustling catering business declined to the point where profits plummeted. I recall being on the receiving end of deliveries from Milk Street Cafe when many people worked at Financial District offices. It was a favorite choice due to quality, cleanliness, and generosity.
Well yes, if it’s a kosher
Well yes, if it’s a kosher establishment then of course it’s going to be quiet on Fridays.
*
*after sundown
covid?
i have worked within view of this place for 15 years, and their issues pre-date covid. boring offerings at expensive prices is a bad combo, especially when there are better and cheaper options on the same street (see: Max's Deli -- their menu is equally boring, but the output is consistently better and is less expensive.)
it is a shame that lots of these legacy restaurants are closing or getting terrible (looking at you, Viga), and making things worse is that all the new lunch options are either extremely niche and/or extremely expensive (looking at you, every new restaurant in the financial district)
Downtown Food is Expensive
I can sort of understand why, but I used to treat myself on my in-office day and now I just bring my lunch and then my husband and I order out/go out when it get home.
I'll still go get something once in a while but some of this is a "who can afford it" issue.
Milk Street made a lot of money catering meetings - someone mentioned the carts. That business has been severely impacted by WFH and companies that don't want to pay people to travel for in-person when things can be done remotely. I worked at a place that did over a dozen large meetings each year and all of them were catered. That doesn't happen anymore - they just got back to 3 or so. Non-profits can't justify the expense.
Their sandwiches are hearty
Their sandwiches are hearty and delicious.