kotobukiya in porter square CLOSING

[ifotismeni]

it's porter, but it's close enough to davis --

http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x2138482128/Japanese-market-owner-Lesley-forced-us-out-of-Cambridge

this is terrible news!
i thought i would just give a heads-up to people here who might not have heard. i frequent kotobukiya about once a month and really can't imagine porter without it.

the article mentions they might be relocating to medford. i guess it beats being completely closed down, but it seems awfully far.


[edit] is there anything we can effectively *DO* about this to make our displeasure known? contact lesley? rally to kotobukiya?


[edit2] if you would like to contact lesley to let them know how you feel about them giving kotobukiya the boot, here is their office of public affairs: http://www.lesley.edu/public_affairs/index.html

Comments

[horizon-radar.livejournal.com]

Sigh, that blows.

[genesayssitdown.livejournal.com]

nnnnnnoooooooooo

[fefie.livejournal.com]

Terrible news! (Might want to post this on the Porter Sq LJ too.)

[ifotismeni]

k, will do!

[countlibras.livejournal.com]

no!!!!

dammit! will my dreams of a Japan town never be realized?!

[rikchik.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry Lesley is cramped, but I think they're fools to do this.

[ifotismeni]

i agree

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

FUCK

[numinicious.livejournal.com]

Nooooooo!


Are there any other stores like this in Boston? :(

[ifotismeni]

reliable in union square is kiiiiiiiiiinda similar but kotobukiya is pretty unique, which is what makes this rather hard to take :(

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Oh fuck! Just when I'd gotten utterly addicted to bento, and thought, "Gee, I really need to go to Kotobukiya and get some stuff for making Japanese food for my bento!" Damn it. Guess I will have to go before they close and take advantage of any markdowns. I do hope they reopen.

[dominika-kretek.livejournal.com]

This is awful. Just awful.

[myselftheliar.livejournal.com]

This is absolutely the worst news

[vibrantabyss.livejournal.com]

much sadness!

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

:(

[timmypowg.livejournal.com]

Is someone organizing a protest? THIS REALLY SHOULD HAPPEN.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[gwodder.livejournal.com]

Nooooooooooooo

[zdenka]

Oh, what a shame! :-( I will miss them.

[teko.livejournal.com]

Kotobukia is one of the most important stores to keep around in the area. It's the only one of its kind, serves a unique function, and draws people to Porter Exchange like nothing else. Lesley U is making a terrible decision by doing this; I think all of the restaurants and shops in Porter Exchange are going to suffer hugely.

[makoshark.livejournal.com]

Totally. Almost every time I ate at the exchange it was before or after a trip to Kotobukiya.

[ron_newman]

I left a comment here, on a post that I think was made by a Lesley staff member.

[numinicious.livejournal.com]

Do you think there is anything that we can do? I'm asking honestly, because I want to help.

[makoshark.livejournal.com]

I saw the signs up so knew this was coming but I didn't realize the backstory with Lesley and the lease and with the possibility of a relocation to Medford. This is pretty horrible news, all told. My partner is Japanese and we shopped there several times a month.

Medford will be OK for us but will hardly be convenient. There's also an east Asian supermarket in Union that will probably will do.

I understand Lesley's space constraints but I don't think that this is the kind of relationship they want with their neighborhood.

[ifotismeni]

amen. yeah, this does not endear lesley to the neighborhood or community at large. to put it bluntly, unless i'm totally misunderstanding the circumstances here (possible!), this sounds like a dick move on their part.

the reaction to this has been pretty universal. i found out about this news on the boston yelp boards: http://www.yelp.com/topic/boston-kotobukiya-porter-sq-gone

i don't know if it'll do anything, but i hope lesley knows about the reaction to this.

That is a bummer.

[haptotrope.livejournal.com]

They have the empty space remodeled from the former Gap/Citibank location, maybe they could switch spaces?

Though, will they keep the sushi bar? (the one that I used to love, but it now a bit pricey and unsanitary)

Re: That is a bummer.

[haptotrope.livejournal.com]

also it seems to be the new cool for universities to shove out local businesses... See also, Harvard shoving out Looks, The dry cleaner, the nail place, 3 aces, and possibly the barber? on Everett and Mass Ave. I think it may be linked to using the space they own, instead of more sprawl.

[fefie.livejournal.com]

Lesley has big plans for moving AIB to Porter Sq in the next few years. I posted some stuff about it in the Porter Sq LJ a while back, though that was more about their plans for moving/converting the church. With this dismaying news about Kotobukiya I wonder if more encroachments on the wonderful businesses in Porter Exchange are waiting in the wings.

Ouch...

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Terrible.

[maelithil.livejournal.com]

FUCK. Where will I get my tuna onigiri now?

Well, I'll miss my raw octopus fix...

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Man, I love that texture (NOT being sarcastic at all, I shop there frequently).

[midorionna.livejournal.com]

my boyfriend and i found out about this last week and have been incredibly bummed ever since. oh japanese groceries and sushi grade fish, why must you leave us???!!!

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

I wish the Kotobukiya folks would look at sites in Cambridge and Somerville rather than moving to Medford. The former Marino's Restaurant site, for instance, would be spacious, provide (some) parking, and still be reasonably accessible by T and bus.

[ron_newman]

I thought that was supposed to become the region's first-ever Rwandan restaurant, but I haven't heard much about that lately.