Bloomington Bagel Company closed one of their stores located on East Third Street on Sunday. The location closed due to the sale of Bear’s Place, a local pub that has been in Bloomington for more than 50 years. BBC was a sublet of Bear’s Place, operating out of a small extension of the same building.
Bloomington Bagel Company will continue to operate their other three locations on North Dunn Street, North Morton Street and South College Avenue.
BBC owner Sue Aquila said she first negotiated a sublet with Bear’s Place in 2016 while looking to open the location. She said she was confident that BBC would be operating in the East Third Street storefront for a very long time.
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According to a Facebook post from Bear’s Place, the pub decided to close in February 2022, after facing challenges due to the pandemic and business climate. The business had intentions of reopening eventually, but it was unclear when, how and where.
Aquila said BBC continued to operate out of the location for the last year after Bear’s Place closed. However, when the Bear’s Place owners decided to sell the property, the sale changed the trajectory of BBC’s sublet, and BBC closed along with the sale, said Aquila.
Aquila said she tried everything she could to stay in the location.
“We hope to be back on Third Street again if an opportunity appears,” Aquila said. “Thank you to the students and community for supporting our little store.”
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