Bear Notch Deli is gone

[forestgnome]

Don't count on Bear Notch Deli if your heading up Crawford Notch, etc. It burned to the ground last week. Plan accordingly.

 

[1HappyHiker]

Thanks Patrick for posting this.
Below is a link to the story published in the Union Leader newspaper:

Bear Notch Deli Fire

 

[miehoff]

Now that sucks!

That was a great place. Now there is nothing around there, really.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Maybe they'll rebuild? Hope so, have stopped there many times.

 

[rocket21]

Maybe they'll rebuild? Hope so, have stopped there many times.

Unless I'm confusing it with another fire in the local paper up here (Conway Daily Sun), I was getting the impression that they were trying to get out of that business...so it will be interesting to see if they rebuild and reopen.

 

[Jazzbo]

Sigh...Another Bartlett Landmark gone

I remember the old Bartlett Inn used to be directly across the intersection. A beautiful classic old NH White Mt Inn where my wife and I stayed as a waypoint on way to Quebec City for our honeymoon back 1988. Big 3-story white thing with huge wrap-around porch with rocking chairs you could sit in watch world go by and talk about your day's adventures. That place had character. Stupid thing about it was they never rebuilt and now there's a sort of non-descrept park there .... nothing like the old inn was. I hope the store can re-build. I'm sure that store will be missed.

 

[--M.]

I saw the rubble on my way through last Friday, rushing from North Conway to the Notch. I had an instant and verbal groan when I went by. I had no idea it had burned just last week.

My condolences go out to all! I always liked seeing it from Bear Notch Road (one leg done, another begun).

 

[wardsgirl]

Unless I'm confusing it with another fire in the local paper up here (Conway Daily Sun), I was getting the impression that they were trying to get out of that business...so it will be interesting to see if they rebuild and reopen.

IIRC, I think the building was intermittently for sale for quite a few years. My BF talked to the owner about it a couple years ago. I think they were asking $350,000. A bit steep for our budget!

 

[KayakDan]

Really a shame. I really liked stopping there for breakfast!
The place had character.

 

[Silverfox]

Oh my

there goes a frequent coffee stop coming down out of the Notch....

thanks for posting..certainly that stop will be missed

lots of stories about that place over the years..my favorite was just this fall..

a couple of my friends stopped in there after being up in Bear Notch

Apparently, a customer stopped in and was getting a breakfast sandwich and a coffee..talking on his cell phone...
now..there was a sign posted..please..no cell phones in the store..

the owner..steve?.. asked the customer to shut off the phone while in the store..the customer basically flipped him off and kept talking...

again the owner asks him to shut off the phone..the customer turns around and walks out the door and gets in his car..still talking on the phone...

the owner, comes out with the sandwich in his hand and mashes it on the guys car saying to the affect..don't forget your sandwich..."to go"

and the guy drives off with a sandwich on his hood....

true story

character..and there is not enough of it left..I'll miss that place..

 

[una_dogger]

LOL! Sandwich "to go!"

You just can't get that kind of service in the city.

 

[kltilton]

No offense to anyone here who may be from points south of the NH border, but I was waiting for a story of how rude the owner was to customers. It all depends if you're "local" or not!

That being said, I hope they re-open. They had good subs and were a favorite refueling stop of mine after trail runs and hikes in the Rob Brook area during the summer.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

I remember the old Bartlett Inn used to be directly across the intersection. A beautiful classic old NH White Mt Inn where my wife and I stayed as a waypoint on way to Quebec City for our honeymoon back 1988. Big 3-story white thing with huge wrap-around porch with rocking chairs you could sit in watch world go by and talk about your day's adventures. That place had character. Stupid thing about it was they never rebuilt and now there's a sort of non-descrept park there .... nothing like the old inn was. I hope the store can re-build. I'm sure that store will be missed.

My brother smelled leaking propane gas at the old Bartlett Inn when he stayed there with our mom and British cousin about a week before it burned to the ground. Unlike many fires of suspicious origin in the Whites, I think that the BI was legit. But, pretty tough economy to rebuild anything these days.

 

[rup]

Where was it????

 

[BlackBuffalo]

It's a shame. I typically stay in Bartlett.
Once in a while I've dropped in for an after hike snack/drinks. It was a real Mom&Pop store.
That sign out front was funny, something to the effect "store is open when we are here."
DaveG.

 

[peakbagger]

Not sure if this applies, so if there is someone with an understanding of small business insurance out there chime in, but at least two small business owners have mentioned to me over the years that their insurance only pays out if the business is rebuilt. I expect there are other coverages availlable, but all the bank that financed the place cares is that there is insurance on the asset so they can recover it in case of default.

I have also heard from several folks who have operated small stores over the years that at best they are making minimum wage or less to actually run the business over the course of a year. Therefore the only way they can cash out to retire, is to sell the business. The business is a lot more valuable as a going concern than a vacant building, so its in the owners incentive to keep it running even if it is at a loss.


Put those two together and that may be a reason why even though the owners wanted to sell, they have to rebuild in hopes that the rebuilt store can eventually be sold to cover their retirement.

I hope that this isnt the case, but nevertheless will miss stopping by after a summer hike when Bear Notch road is my access to the Kanc.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Where was it????

On the corner, by Bear Notch Road. The road's closed in winter, but is a shortcut off the Kanc going north in the warmer months.