Due to the recession and growing competition within the neighborhood among food markets, Bazzini Co. Inc, located at 339 Greenwich Street, has lost much of its business. Owners Electra and Rocco Damato have scheduled for the venue to close in January 2010. Sarabeth’s, a popular bakery chain, will be replacing it.

Bazzini is a blend between a general store, café and deli. It sells an assortment of goods, ranging from regular deli sandwiches to chocolate-dipped pretzels, as well as its specialty—nuts and dried fruits.

The business was founded in 1866, starting out as a simple café that sold nuts, drinks and baked goods. The entire business used to be in the Bazzini building, where the store is currently situated. Most of the building was taken up by the factory and only a smaller corner of the ground floor was the actual shop. Approximately eight years ago, the factory was moved uptown to the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx and the shop was expanded to the entire ground floor, becoming a food market as well.

Much of Bazzini’s business has been usurped by the Whole Foods that opened in July 2008 at 270 Greenwich Street. Whole Foods sells natural and organic products. “Bazzini is one of the nice, unique places that’s getting ignored because of Whole Foods,” junior Emily Martin said. “It’s sad because people like that kind of thing and it’s just going away everywhere because of these larger places.”

The Food Emporium, located across the street from Bazzini, has been in the neighborhood since 1982. Both Whole Foods and the Food Emporium are more spacious than Bazzini, and are therefore able to offer a greater selection of goods to customers.

However, Bazzini’s employees have established a familiar relationship with the community. “Our customers come in everyday for lunch,” said Eric Musiel, a Bazinni employee of six years. “We know their names. We know what kind of sandwiches they’re getting.”

Senior Katerina Patouri remembers the friendliness of the workers at Bazzini “The lady there was so incredibly nice. She put on extra frosting for us and gave us free ice cream,” Patouri said. “Unlike the situation at a lot of expensive places the people working there were never pretentious or obnoxious to me just because I was a kid.”

The venue’s closing forces its workers to look for a job somewhere else. The Damatos have given Bazzini’s employees the option to work in the Bazzini factory in the Bronx. But some are choosing not to work in the factory, looking for a job in the Manhattan area instead. “I’m probably going to be in unemployment,” Musial said. “I will be looking for a job somewhere around here.”

Bazzini’s customers, from the neighborhood and from Stuyvesant, are saddened by the news. “I don’t want it to close,” said Sophie, a fourth-grader who declined to give her last name.

“I’m really surprised by [Bazzini’s scheduled closing]. I thought it was going to always be there,” senior Sarah Cohen-Smith said. “I feel like it’s a neighborhood staple.”

While the store in Tribeca is closing, Bazzini will still keep its factories and warehouses. “They have warehouses,” employee Daniel Anderson said. “But as far as stores, I don’t think they’ll be doing another store.” Bazzini will continue selling its products online.

Bazzini’s closing does not appear to be affecting the atmosphere of the shop. The shop is as festive as ever with holiday decorations bursting from the table by the entrance. The shelves are still packed with Bazzini brand nuts and treats, and the glass displays still filled with mouthwatering dishes and baked goods. But in January, Bazzini will be saying good-bye to Tribeca.