After 35 years on Duane Park, Duane Park Patisserie will shut down its retail counter on June 14, owner Madeline Lanciani confirmed. The longtime bakery, a neighborhood anchor for generations, is closing after a prolonged rent dispute that wound up in court. Lanciani said she had hoped to find a buyer but could not keep up with mounting bills and legal costs, leaving neighbors and regulars bracing for the loss of one of Tribeca’s last long-running storefronts.
As reported by Tribeca Citizen, Lanciani pays $23,000 a month in rent and her landlord bought the two commercial condo units three years ago for roughly $4 million. The outlet notes that the landlord has been pursuing back rent since last November and that a judge granted termination of the lease in April. Lanciani received an eviction notice last week giving her until June 30 to vacate, and Tribeca Citizen also reports the landlord has filed a civil suit against her personally. The paper quotes Lanciani saying she had hoped to find a buyer but “the die has been cast.”
According to Duane Park Patisserie, the shop opened in 1992 and has been on Duane Street for roughly 35 years. The site highlights the bakery’s catering work, community donations and the Ring Ding Bar that became a signature offering. Taken together, those details help explain why the closure announcement has hit such a nerve across the neighborhood.
Owner Weighs Options To Keep Pieces Of The Business Alive
Lanciani told Tribeca Citizen she had tried to find a buyer and has been exploring alternatives, including selling equipment or moving the Ring Ding Bar into a ghost-kitchen setup. In recent months, the bakery launched a night-time dessert program and obtained a liquor license in an effort to diversify revenue streams. Tribeca Trib previously reported that Lanciani had put the business up for sale and was considering other projects, a sign of how longtime proprietors are scrambling to adapt.
Why The Closure Hits Home For Neighborhood Storefronts
Local business advocates say the loss of an institution like Duane Park Patisserie speaks to wider pressures on mom-and-pop shops across the city. As City Limits has argued, proponents of commercial rent stabilization see measures such as a Small Business Rent Stabilization Act as a potential lifeline, while industry voices warn such rules could have unintended consequences, according to Commercial Observer. Data from the comptroller’s office and other reporting show that rents and vacancy patterns vary across Manhattan, leaving thin margins for owners trying to balance payroll, taxes and lease costs.
Lanciani says she will keep taking orders for special occasions and explore whether to sell equipment or find a new home for parts of the business beyond June 14. The final day of retail sales is set for June 14, and the court-ordered vacancy date is June 30. For now, Tribeca is preparing to say goodbye to a shop many residents considered a daily touchstone, while the corner waits for whoever, if anyone, comes next.
