Our Daily Bread closing paves way for Vintage Cafe

ALBANY — Having moved to its most recent location less than a year ago, Albany eatery Our Daily Bread is closing its doors, effectively ending the restaurant’s four-year run in the heart of the Good Life City.

According to Jason Warren, who owned and operated the restaurant with his wife, Mendy Warren, the decision to call it a day, came after weeks of contemplation as the couple wrestled with the idea of closing temporarily or moving on completely.

“We’ve been trying to figure out if we might be able to do something else and hang on a little longer,” said Jason Warren. “We just ran out of gas.”

The Warrens originally opened Our Daily Bread at 106 N. Washington St. in August 2011 and built a popular establishment that focused on food that was prepared using fresh and local ingredients, served in a casual environment that reminded many of a small cafe or coffee shop.

Despite that early success, the family decided in late 2014 to move to 230 Broad Avenue, formerly the home of Cafe 230, a restaurant owned by entrepreneur and Albany City Commissioner B.J. Fletcher.

At the time, Mendy Warren said the decision to move came after Fletcher approached the couple about assuming the lease on the much larger space and also incorporating the Cafe 230 menu and name into the business, thus establishing Our Daily Bread at Cafe 230.

“We were just starting to outgrow that building (on Washington Street),” Mendy Warren said in December. “This location more than doubles our square footage and seating capacity.”

The Warrens’ hope was that the additional square footage would allow them to expand their catering and give them an event space that could be rented. That never materialized and, after a particularly rough summer, the strain of the move and the dip in business led to the closing.

“A bunch of different things kind of piled up on us,” Jason Warren said. “It was one of the worst summers we’ve had. (And) the move itself was a strain both physically and financially.”

Warren added that while the move opened up many different possibilities for growth, it also was met with some displeasure from a lot of the restaurant’s customers.

“There was a little bit of trade-off,” he said. “The new building gave us more opportunities. (However) in our old building, we had that warm and eclectic feeling. We had branded ourselves as farm to fork, and we had produce up front from local vendors. We did the build out on that building. The 230 building, I think, is one of the most beautiful beautiful buildings in Albany, but our coffee house vibe was not a fit there. A lot of our customers said they didn’t like that.”

While the move and a slide in business definitely had an effect, Warren said it was also difficult to run a restaurant in downtown Albany, despite the family’s love of the area and its desire to be there.

“At the end of the day, downtown Albany has its struggles,” he said. “It’s a tough place to be at times.”

Although the decision to close was difficult, Warren said getting the chance to do something they loved was something the couple will cherish.

“It was an awesome experience, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “And we are thankful to all of our customers. Without them, we would’ve not been able to have those four years.”

Even though the Warrens are closing the restaurant, Jason Warren said they’re planning to continue the catering aspect of the business in the future, though the details have not been worked out.

Warren’s aunt Gail Morrill has also expressed interest in opening an events business in the Broad Avenue location.