Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Bun Penny To Close

We received an incredibly sad note Christmas Eve from the folks at Bun Penny in the mall. They are closing in the next few weeks after nearly 40 years in business; they can no longer afford the rents the mall's owner, General Growth Properties, is asking.

Bun Penny is a family owned business and its loss is another knock on the ability of small, independent institutions to survive in these parts.

Drop by soon and say goodbye.

We will.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is always a way to work out a contract to keep an icon like Bun Penny at the Mall. Another classic example of big business not understanding a community and what makes it work. You would think they would "get it" after the Poinsetta Tree episode. I've been going to the Mall since it first opened and now I have to wonder "why go there anymore?.

Anonymous said...

Joe, I agree with you completely. I also have been going to the mall since it first opened. [In fact, I've lived here in Columbia since it first opened up and haven't left yet. Also, I did go to high school with the present (possible past now) boss of Bun Penny.]
I just looked up the Bun Penney home web page to find out more about it closing and I didn't connect with the home page, but an article (this one here) that told about the closing I found before hand. Says that the reason that they are closing is because of the LARGE rent that General Growth Properties is asking.
HMM! Never did like them. They are TOO much of a $$$$$ oriented company. All get and NO give.
When you look at the way that General Growth DIDN'T put up the Poinsettia tree just this past Christmas (Question: Did they know that the first tree did create NATIONAL attention and was in this national magazine?) and put in some LARGE SUV'S or ?? instead, that does increase the thought that General Growth is so $$$$$ oriented.
John