SCHENECTADY — The city of Schenectady will soon bid farewell to a popular spot for soups and sandwiches. Bountiful Bread’s State Street dining area is set to close its doors this Friday. However, the bakery section of the business will continue to operate.
The supervisor of Bountiful Bread’s Schenectady location, Sully Zorqane, confirmed the news on Monday afternoon. The story was initially reported by ABC News10.
Meagan Loncaric, the marketing manager at White Management Corporation, explained the decision. “This shift in focus is designed to capitalize on the opportunities within Bountiful Bread’s bakery and confectionery sections, as well as other assets owned by White Management Restaurant Group. These include Annabel’s Pizza Co., the Annabel’s Pizza Co. food truck, and Bountiful @ Frog Alley Catering, all of which are looking to expand their operations,” she said.
Zorqane revealed that the café has been grappling with a significant drop in foot traffic since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He shared that the store needs to serve between 300 to 500 customers daily to remain profitable, but currently only sees between 100 to 150 customers “on a good day.” The café needs to generate $50,000 a week to stay afloat, but is currently averaging about $10,000.
Despite the financial challenges, the owners kept the café open for 18 months longer than initially planned. However, they have now decided to close after losing between $500,000 to $600,000 in sales last year.
The café, known for its variety of toasts, burritos, and soups, is owned by White Management. The company also operates Annabel’s Pizza Co. nearby and another Bountiful Bread location in Stuyvesant Plaza in Albany. Both of these locations will remain open.
White Management officials did not provide specific financial details about the Schenectady location but issued a general statement disputing the financial details reported in the Gazette and the description of the restaurant’s menu.
Zorqane compared the café to Annabel’s, stating, “They get a lot busier than we do with the bar and they serve more food that a lot more people in this area want to see versus healthier food, I guess.”
Annabel’s supplies food, including pizza, wings, nachos, and fries, for Frog Alley Brewing next door.
JT Pollard, owner of Frog Alley, expressed his satisfaction that Frog Alley will continue to host White Management’s catering and baking operations as well as Annabel’s Pizza Co. He also mentioned ongoing discussions with other retailers to occupy the soon-to-be-vacant storefront, expressing confidence in filling the space quickly.
Zorqane reassured that the Bountiful Bread bakery will continue to operate, as it has been successful and supplies bread for the Albany location and other wholesale accounts.
Bummer, loved their freshly baked bread! #disagree