Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Birdbath, The Last Vestige Of City Bakery, Closes Amid Allegation Of Unpaid Wages
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Nov 15, 2019
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Charline Charles / Gothamist
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Nov 15, 2019
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The last remaining Birdbath Green Bakery, the environmentally-conscious offshoot of the famed City Bakery, has closed for good, leaving several employees without a job and several weeks of owed wages, according to a source.
The shop at Grand Central, which opened in 2014 as the largest Birdbath, had hung on despite the closure of City Bakery last month. An employee, who asked not to be named, told Gothamist that the store closed on Friday, November 8th, after the kitchen staff quit.
She said she had not been paid for nine weeks of work.
"I’m really upset," she said. "He owes me over $2,000."
She called Maury Rubin, the owner and CEO of City Bakery, "dishonest," saying he had repeatedly told employees that he would pay them. She said Rubin communicated to staff by posting messages on a human resource system called Humanity. In one of the messages, she said, he told employees of a plan to start a string of hot-chocolate pop-ups and that he was hoping the enterprise could generate enough revenue to pay them.
Efforts to reach other employees were unsuccessful. Rubin did not respond to a request for comment.
The crash of City Bakery, known for their pretzel croissants, hot chocolate and mac 'n' cheese, stunned and saddened New York food connoisseurs.
In an Instagram post, Rubin attributed the problem to "too much debt, debt which is like quicksand" and the lack of affordable financing.
Referring to Birdbath, he said: "Years ago we began a second bakery concept, Birdbath Green Bakery. A little sister to City Bakery. Birdbath was embraced and grew from Tribeca to Soho to the UWS, but then we had some misses, and the cost was high. We unwound Birdbath to focus on City Bakery. We've sought new partners and financial support that hasn’t been found. We've believed our profitable track record, range of new opportunities and value in the community would be part of a solution. Not so ..."
The first Birdbath, which served coffee as well as baked goods and prepared foods supplied by City Bakery, quietly opened in the East Village in 2005. Over the years, Rubin undertook a rapid expansion that included hiccups along the way. The Tribeca shop closed in 2017. The following year, two Birdbaths on the Upper West Side shuttered. The Soho branch, which was housed in a historic storefront, suddenly shut down this summer.
According to the source, business at the Grand Central outpost had been abysmal due to lack of support from management.
"He’s been cutting the menu," she said. "The quality went down. People were unhappy and we lost customers."
In Instagram post on October 20th, Rubin vowed to return, albeit under a different name.
UPDATE: An earlier version of this story misstated the very first Birdbath. The first shop opened in the East Village in 2005.
Tagged
grand central
birdbath green bakery
city bakery
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.
The median price of a cocktail in the city is now $16, and $9 for a draft beer.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 19, 2026
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .