$11K a month seems to be a bit steep for that building. No wonder the other businesses who have been there haven't lasted. Ah well--at the rate they charge, the landlords may get someone to be in there for a few weeks at a shot.

maybe the Gov could bail these folks out like he did the soccer stadium

Who's Kidding Who?

I have a problem with my landlord, could I have some politician, or government official, stop worring about what they were voted in for & work on my financial issues.
Keep government out of areas that they have no buisness being in.

I'm a landlord in Salt Lake and when I have a tenant who adds value to my property...I lower the monthly rent. I bend over backwards to keep good tenants. This sounds like a good tenant. I would urge the landlord to renegotiate the lease, lower the monthly payment and go the extra miles to keep a good tenant in place.

Don't know who came up with this CPI for consumers but it is far from reality. Who buys jeans every week? The gocery list is minimal and unrealistic. This report on living in Utah is about as redicoulous as a report can get. Their shopping basket is not based what people are buying and can afford, it is based on items I wouldn't feed a pet. Buying inferior products is also buying inferior health. They should factor health and nutrition values in this shopping basket, cheapest is in many cases unhealthy and a poor value. They should look at store sales rather than a restricted product price comparison. Then store locations factors very much in the CPI and what it costs to consumers. Then the biggest factor not covered is cost to income, which Utah has the smallest of margins with its substandard well below poverty wages. Try averaging incomes below the $60K level and exclude government employees and workers. They are on a differnt labor standards than the private business employees that are subject to discrimination, abuse, threats, and job loss without cause or representation. It's the employers Right to Work laws protecting private businesses with employee abuse.

Based on a recent report to the UN Food Program, it should read "Ill-advised government ethanol subsidy programs threaten Salt Lake bakery" because that's the real reason prices are so high. An estimated 75% of the recent increases in global food costs are due to these subsidies.

Poor people worldwide are starving so rich corporations such as Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland can get paid big taxpayer bucks for making corn into ethanol, because wealthy US senators can get more campaign contributions from them.

The Gov. and the Soccer Stadium comment is “off topic” and should be removed from this Forum.

Keep it up and good luck, Kathy and Paul! The best thing any of us can do is sit down at one of thier tables and order some wonderful food, which I'll be doing tomorow!

To the person who "Re"-ed JR:

Is this your first time on a web forum? Sounds like it. People go off-topic quickly, and sometimes even have interesting things to say. Sorry you've got a single-track mind.

Let's hope they can find the dough to keep the business going...excuse the pun!

I do hope that this bakery will continue to pull thru even in the worse of times. It is too bad that the rent is that expensive. That is grossly uncall for in my opinion. Anyway, best of luck to Kathy and Paul.

Everyone should get used to the future effects of the 8 GWB and GOP years, possibly more if the GOP energy policies prevail.

You can thank the Democrat lead congress for your high gas prices and high food prices. Without them pushing corn ethanol wouldn't these prices be cheaper? While I'm at it I'll also blame the Democrats for me being 50lbs. overweight. Oh wait or maybe that's GWB's fault too.

I've tried this hip, trendy joint several times over the past few years and am always disappointed. The food and service are very mediocre. I choose to spend my money at places much more deserving of it, instead of going with the hip and trendy crowd. Maybe that's what is really going on with this place: the thrill is gone, baby.

Well this explains my trip to the Avenues Bakery last month when I discovered that they are no longer selling pastries (I was there for a muffin) on the weekends. How very sad. I hope they will be able to work something out with their landlord. I hate to see local businesses suffer.

Hagermann's will open on South Temple at about 15 West in about a month. It is too bad when a business is unable to continue or has to move for whatever reason but there are others that can fill the void. I do like the Avenues Bakery. I ate there plenty of mornings on my way to work... but I think Hagermann's is better.

Luckily a new bakery is coming: Sounds like you have a financial interest in new bakery.

Is this landlord for real? The man/woman seriously has his/her greedy head in the sand (to put it politely). Forgoe your new mercedes and let good people stay!

Eleven thousand censored dollars per month? Holy censored censored! I know these people signed a lease with their eyes open, but there is something seriously wrong with a rental price that high, and with the people that are exacting it.

Smart businessmen charge what the market will bear. If a bakery can't make enough money to pay the rent, perhaps another business can. The landlord should be able to choose his own charities. If people really want a bakery in their neighborhood, then they'll have to pay a lot more for goods.

The "invisible hand of the market" is a pipe dream and only an economic theory, not a religion, or a way of life. Low price is not the only factor when choosing where to spend your money or your time. When a locally owned business fails because of competition from chains or out-of area ownership, the community suffers in 2 ways; loss of capital for local investment, and loss of entrepreneurs who live in, value and invest (both monetarily and socially) in the community. Another local business in similar trouble is Cup of Joe at 353 W. 200 S. This coffee shop has been a center of the indy music and spoken word poetry scene for more than 10 years. The current owner Kristy Gonzalez is active in hosting community events and meetings, such as the Guardian Angels, People for Peace and Justice and a French Speaking Club. She hosts art exhibits of local artists, particularly those residing in Artspace, and artists whose sales benefit charitable causes. Her sales are suffering, and as a result she is having trouble paying her rent. Management is refusing to work with her. As with Avenues Bakery, if you value this business, shop there!

"Smart businessmen charge what the market will bear. If a bakery can't make enough money to pay the rent, perhaps another business can..."

Perhaps. I'd be interested in seeing exactly what business can support that much in rent alone. And it sounds like the landlord here is going to find out pretty quickly what the market can bear.

I thought the bakery was good but a little expensive 2 YEARS ago. Given what their prices must be 20% higher for food costs, I probably don't even want to know.

$11k for rent is ridiculous and reeks of greed. Then again, the landlord has to make the mortgage payment. Maybe they were idiots and bought during the frenzy, have a crippling payment, and now they have to pass that expense on to their renters.

The answer to high rent is: don't lease it. The answer to ridiculous real estate prices: don't buy it. The way to know what makes a price "high" or "ridiculous": simple math.

That said, best of luck to the bakery. While a little pricey, it sure was good food. Who else puts apples and brie cheese on a turkey sandwich? Yum!

Don't necessarily jump to conclusions and blame the landlord. 11K a month is very high but my guess is that the tenant asked for an exhoberant tenant improvement allowance at the beginning of the lease to build out their space. This amount has to be amortized over the life of the lease. In other words, the tenant probably could not afford to pay off their improvements.

I heard a steakhouse was going to be put in the bakery's place. A STEAKHOUSE!!!

the saddest part of this closure is it does not only effect the Avenue's Bakery owners, it will effect all the local markets in which they purchase their goods from.. It was a great business that bought organic and local, and now those businesses will probably feel some strain as well. We sometimes lose sight that one thing will effect the world around us!

Osama Bin Laden is still running free since baby Bush, the man who drunk his way through college has allowed him to sing "I'M Free."
The Bush war for oil profits will end up costing $2,000,000,000,000 to build bridges in Iraq while Baby Bush continues to make billions on oil. Today our nation has a $9,000,000,000,000 debt for the grandchildren to pay back when it had a record surplus 8 years ago.
Exon Mobile does not mind since they are getting record tax breaks and profits while you pay more under the baby Bush tax break plan which John McCain will carry out if elected.
Communist China is happy since Mr. Bush has outsourced millions of American jobs to them while millions of American mothers cannot afford milk and eggs for their children.