The Ninth Street Bakery, a popular establishment with both students and Durham residents, closed its doors Sunday and has been sold to the owners of Elmo's Diner in Carrboro.
The bakery first opened at another location on Ninth Street in June 1981. At that time, it offered a limited menu, primarily serving baked goods and coffee. When the bakery moved to its present location in May 1989, it began to serve complete meals. Prior to closing, the bakery had been the only vegetarian restaurant in the Durham area, said Maureen Ferrill, the bakery's co-founder, and it had found a niche within the community.
"I think will be missed," she said, adding that the decision to sell the restaurant was based upon the "stress and time constraint" required to run the business. There is "a lot more competition in the area," Ferrill added, "and it is harder to make a go of it. During the week we don't have the traffic we used to."
Ferrill said the restaurant has provided a great way to get to know Durham. "The community has given us a lot," she said. "It's nice to give people their coffee in the morning."
Now that the restaurant has closed, Ferrill and her husband Frank, also co-founder of the bakery, plan to concentrate on expanding their baking business. "We're pretty excited about thinking about baking [and] wholesale," she said, adding that she is eagerly awaiting the opportunity to spend some time at home.
Whereas the Ferrills look toward their future endeavors, restaurant patrons said the closing of the restaurant is a loss for the community.
"I love the philosophy of the restaurant toward the people, toward the use of organic materials," said Jim Cordy, a delivery driver for Multiflora Greenhouses and long-time patron of the bakery. "There isn't any place in the area that matches it."
Barbara Mason, a teacher at Lowe's Grove Middle School, said she will miss the restaurant as well. "I have a lot of grief about [the bakery's closing]," she said. "It allows people to be who they are. I like the simplicity of it."
University students were also saddened by the changing of the guard at the corner of Ninth Street. "There's Trinity [Cafe], but this seems more secluded, more cerebral,"Trinity freshman Linda Chyi said.
The Ninth Street Bakery has been bought by Wayne Hodges and Cindy McMahon, co-owners of Elmo's Diner. Once they have completed their move-in, the restaurant will serve hearty, home cooked meals and breakfast all day long, said Beth Newsome, marketing director for Elmo's Diner. "It's exactly the same format as we have here in Carrboro," she said.
Hodges and McMahon's decision to purchase the bakery was motivated by its location and present atmosphere, Newsome said. "We were trying to find a place with some of the charm of our restaurant [in Carrboro]," she said.
Elmo's Diner is scheduled to open between mid-February and early March, Newsome said. The new owners are installing some kitchen equipment and booths, she said, and they are building a covered area for patrons waiting for tables.
Former Ninth Street Bakery patrons said that although they would not hold a grudge on Elmo's Diner, they would sorely miss their favorite restaurant.
"I'll check it out, but it won't be the same," Cordy said. "This is my home away from home."
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