Out With The Old

April 30, 2014

I feel a certain sad symmetry this morning as I wait for our health department inspection to be conducted in a few hours – the final requirement we must fulfill before we open Bread Furst.

Dahmane Benarbane, the owner of Baguette Republic, a wholesale bakery in Chantilly, called me yesterday to tell me that the last Marvelous Market store will close today.  So as Bread Furst, a new neighborhood bakery prepares to open next week, my first neighborhood bakery that opened 24 years ago, finally dies.

Marvelous Market was a name well known in Washington and it could have lived on and prospered.  Its decline was the result of very bad decisions made by very few people.

Even as we prepare to open Bread Furst, this beautiful space that will be the workplace of talented people, even though I think we are creating something that will be valued by the neighborhood, even by the city, it’s awful for me to see Marvelous Market disappear.

 

 

 

  1. Marion Nestle says:

    Ouch. So sorry.

    *From:* Bread Furst [mailto:comment-reply@wordpress.com] *Sent:* Wednesday, April 30, 2014 7:44 AM *To:* marion.nestle@nyu.edu *Subject:* [New post] Out With The Old

    Mark Furstenberg posted: “I feel a certain sad symmetry this morning as I wait for our health department inspection to be conducted in a few hours – the final requirement we must fulfill before we open Bread Furst. Dahmane Benarbane, the owner of Baguette Republic, a wholesale “

  2. Olga Boikess says:

    Very sad.

    Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:43:59 +0000 To: boikess@hotmail.com

  3. Marvelous Market may be gone, but your influence on this city and yes, its food culture, through it is permanent. We are all looking forward to your next chapter.

  4. Paul Boudreau says:

    Sad news – I’ve been a MM customer for many, many years. I remember how dismal the bread situation was around here when I moved back from France in 1978; MM and Uptown Bakery changed that. What happened?

    • The strip on Uptown was located has so little parking that customers were daunted; so Uptown became a wholesale bakery and closed its retail. Marvelous Market was destroyed by bad business decisions.

  5. Marlene Berlin says:

    My husband and I moved to Forest Hills in 89 from Dupont Circle, I realized that our neighborhood lacked a place to buy good bread. Soon thereafter Marvelous Market opened and I was in seventh heaven. Nothing could beat the multigrain and chocolate cherry bread, and in fact there is nothing around that beats those breads today. So sorry to hear about the last store closing. But where a door closes, another opens and so apt in your opening Bread Furst. May its life in our neighborhood be long and prosperous. L’chaim

  6. […] Marvelous Market was started by local baker Mark Furstenberg in 1990, but he sold the chain in 1996. Furstenberg who will soon open a new cafe and bakery called Bread Furst. He posted the following response to Marvelous Market's closure on his blog: […]

  7. Eddie says:

    Mark, your bread at MM on Connecticut Avenue as just spectacular (we all know that). Time for a new chapter! We look forward to Bread Furst and your amazing breads and creations! All the Best! Eddie

  8. […] before that birth occurs, Furstenberg has been mourning the death of his first baby. He wrote a blog item this morning on the demise of Marvelous Market. "It makes me said, and it makes me angry," Furstenberg told me […]

  9. Yes, this is too bad about Marvelous Market; I was sad to see the one in Chevy Chase close. But I am really excited about Bread Furst. The space looks fantastic, and the bread that started appearing in the windows looks so enticing.

  10. Ron Hoffer says:

    I can understand your sadness of course — but you have so much to be proud of in bringing not only good bread (and many good things to accompany it) to DC but in helping spur a community of people who care about food as part of quality city life. I have missed seeing your presence and professionalism at work (last time as the guiding light of Breadline) and feel your approach in guiding this next generation at BreadFurst is fantastic; and I might add an inspiration! I am so glad my AM power walk can end at your new place. With many best wishes.

Leave a Reply to Mark Furstenberg Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *