R. Hirt, Jr. in Eastern Market changing name to the 1887 Cheese Shop

**mtm49269** · October-11-11, 02:03 PM

From Channel 4: http://www.clickondetroit.com/money/...95/detail.html

Apparently their lease expires at the end of the year and they cant extend it any further after 118 years. So sad because it's a wonderful store!

**jcole** · October-11-11, 02:08 PM

Well, that totally sucks. What do the landlords think will do any better there; a chain store?

**SWMAP** · October-11-11, 02:12 PM

I think there has to be more to this story than the owner is right now saying. They changed [[shortened) their hours. They got rid of the garden center business and the guy who ran that is now down the street on Russell. The have been saying that business is bad for the last two years. Likely the owner may just not want to give so much to an inherited business.

**1953** · October-11-11, 02:18 PM

They were still renting after 118 years? Sounds like poor management to me. Who owns the building?

**hamtown mike** · October-11-11, 02:21 PM

Honestly I've only purchased something from R Hirt twice. Their checkout process, though olde-worlde and charming was a pain in the ass for those of us who actually use Eastern Market as, you know, a market.

**Wintersmommy** · October-11-11, 02:36 PM

from the metro times blog

"
We were glad to learn that there is indeed more to this story. A source familiar with the matter assured us that the decision to close R. Hirt Jr. actually resolves an internal dispute over the retail store: About a year ago, the wholesale and retail operations were merged under the same management; the resolution of the lease dispute will now see the original Hirt retailers resuming operations in the century-old building.
What’s more, after Dec. 31, the store is to undergo a renovation, taking approximately 30-40 days, and reopen under a different moniker, but with the same fabulous array of products. As for the interior, expect only a few changes, not a total teardown. Our source explained, “The store will be ‘modernized’ — from an 1891 format closer to a 1912 format.”"

**English** · October-11-11, 02:44 PM

Whew. Thanks Wintersmommy. PLEASE don't scare me like that. Was about to start a Kickstarter or Hatch-like application for a consortium to save the thing.

Still sad that it won't be R. Hirt, though. Our parents & grandparents [[and for me, my great-grandparents) shopped in that place... I like the general store feel.

**professorscott** · October-11-11, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by Wintersmommy

“The store will be ‘modernized’ — from an 1891 format closer to a 1912 format.”

.

**stromberg2** · October-11-11, 03:17 PM

Whew...that was a close one!

Stromberg2

**rb336** · October-11-11, 03:50 PM

That headline made me jump. Is the R Hirt name going on the wholesale side?

**Gistok** · October-11-11, 03:51 PM

... I still lament the loss of the "Fronterra Bros" building to the left of R. Hirt... it was a nice looking Victorian building that fit with the rest of the row of buildings on that block... too bad they had a fire many years ago...

**daniel_duggan** · October-11-11, 03:53 PM

I've got a lot of the details in this story, link below. The youngest of the family members put out a press release today indicating the store will close. However, his uncle is now taking over the space and will operate it as it was operated before. It really underscores the challenges of family businesses and how messy things can get.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...mily-ownership

**Gistok** · October-11-11, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by hamtown mike

Honestly I've only purchased something from R Hirt twice. Their checkout process, though olde-worlde and charming was a pain in the ass for those of us who actually use Eastern Market as, you know, a market.

OK... Mike... gotta call you out on that one...

How is what Hirt does so different than a Butcher or Deli counter at Kroger? You don't pay at the butcher or deli counter... they just process your order and you go to the register to pay... somehow I don't want the folks handling my cheese just finish handling someone elses money first!

I've never had to wait more than a minute at the cashier windows at Hirt.

In the Eastern market stalls... the sellers are 1) handlers, 2) cashiers, and 3) bagggers all wrapped up in one...

**Detroitej72** · October-11-11, 05:03 PM

The click on Detroit link says the article is no longer available. I'm glad they will stay open.

**detroitsgwenivere** · October-11-11, 05:19 PM

I used to work there once upon a time, and am not surprised about the coming changes.

But changing the name is bad business IMO

**Detroitnerd** · October-11-11, 05:25 PM

Five'll get ya ten everybody still calls it Hirt's anyway...

**pgn421** · October-11-11, 11:18 PM

Dave DeVries is out

**Danny** · October-12-11, 10:40 AM

I felt really sad for R. Hirt Jr's shop. everbody grew up on their products for the middle and proletarians. In the meantime keep Eastern Market open for all proletarian needs. Keep corporate who supports greed crimes away.

**jtw** · October-12-11, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

OK... Mike... gotta call you out on that one...

How is what Hirt does so different than a Butcher or Deli counter at Kroger? You don't pay at the butcher or deli counter... they just process your order and you go to the register to pay... somehow I don't want the folks handling my cheese just finish handling someone elses money first!

I've never had to wait more than a minute at the cashier windows at Hirt.

In the Eastern market stalls... the sellers are 1) handlers, 2) cashiers, and 3) bagggers all wrapped up in one...

I'll answer for him, since I feel the same way. Let's say the cheese guy just wrapped me up a nice 1# block of aged cheddar. It's never clear if I need to talk to the people with the scale/register at the end of the cheese counter [[to have it weighed/priced) or if you just go to the window, since there are usually people standing and paying at both. It feels like you have to wait in 2 lines after you get your cheese.

Some people have a paper invoice/receipt/whatever it is, some don't. There's not nearly enough space to form anything resembling a line, since it's right by the entrance and people need to get through and depending on how busy, the line backs up in front of the cheese counter.

**Gistok** · October-12-11, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by jtw

I'll answer for him, since I feel the same way. Let's say the cheese guy just wrapped me up a nice 1# block of aged cheddar. It's never clear if I need to talk to the people with the scale/register at the end of the cheese counter [[to have it weighed/priced) or if you just go to the window, since there are usually people standing and paying at both. It feels like you have to wait in 2 lines after you get your cheese.

Some people have a paper invoice/receipt/whatever it is, some don't. There's not nearly enough space to form anything resembling a line, since it's right by the entrance and people need to get through and depending on how busy, the line backs up in front of the cheese counter.

Maybe all the times I've gone... [[mostly afternoons) all the lines have died down... I usually avoid peak hours... for a reason!

**Detroitej72** · October-12-11, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by jtw

I'll answer for him, since I feel the same way. Let's say the cheese guy just wrapped me up a nice 1# block of aged cheddar. It's never clear if I need to talk to the people with the scale/register at the end of the cheese counter [[to have it weighed/priced) or if you just go to the window, since there are usually people standing and paying at both. It feels like you have to wait in 2 lines after you get your cheese.

Have you ever considered asking the cheese wrapper which line you should pay at?

**preserve** · October-12-11, 02:27 PM

Knew something was up when inventory began to look sad up on the 3rd floor. Thought it was because David retired, hope things don't change too much. What 2 lines? You get something, they give you a slip and you go to the cashier. Or, if you're not buying cheese, you take your other items across from the cashier, it gets written up and you pay.

**EastsideAl** · October-12-11, 03:01 PM

Sounds like Tom didn't want to pay any more rent to Uncle Dave, so he took his ball [[the wholesale business and the Hirt name) and left.

**Detroitej72** · October-13-11, 09:07 AM

As long as they continue to carry their whole product line and don't skimp on the stock or quality, I"ll be happy.

**hamtown mike** · October-13-11, 11:04 AM

Bingo! Oy, the lines! I understand good things come to those who wait, but when I'm behind those who don't understand how it works the process gets confused. Seriously it's like being in a busy bar on a friday night struggling to get the attention of a bartender, while getting mowed down by the double wide stroller of a burb'd-up first timer. And why, if I'm buying a cookie cutter with a price tag on it, and nothing else, do I still have to go to the cheese counter first to get a ticket written up?

I swear the only thing worse is trying to buy chicken on the other side of shea butter bridge at the beginning of the month.