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

**Gistok** · October-13-11, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by hamtown mike

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.

Gotcha! No express line!

I'm of the perspective of.... how can you go in there and not also buy cheese??

**Detroitnerd** · October-13-11, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by hamtown mike

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.

OK, that was pretty funny.

**preserve** · November-17-11, 02:59 PM

Stopped in at Hirt yesterday, just to see how things were going. So sad. the shelves are mostly empty and the staff all look like they're about to burst into tears. Everyone I've talked to about the closing feels the same way. I think everyone who experienced the 3rd floor ended up taking people down there to share the experience and then they took friends. It was the BEST. What I wonder about is,
if and that's IF, it does ever open as the Cheese Shop, how will that building ever pass the city inspections? I can't believe the Hirt family doesn't own the the building - after all those years. Went over to Rocky's just to see if I could pickup some of the stuff Hirt used to have and they were in the middle of redoing things and it looked like a disaster area. Said they were putting out their Christmas stuff for the weekend, looked more like they were boxing up stuff. So very disappointing.

**SWMAP** · November-17-11, 03:03 PM

Shea Butter Bridge! Very, good. I can't walk through that mess. I just avoid.

**EastsideAl** · November-17-11, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by preserve

I can't believe the Hirt family doesn't own the the building - after all those years.

The family does own the building [[it's actually the DeVries family), but the one who now controls the building [[Dave DeVries) is different from the one who now controls the store & wholesale business [[Tom DeVries, who is Dave's nephew). So this is really a family dispute writ large.

Near as I can tell from what I've read and heard about it, with the store's lease ending, Tom [[who bought Dave out of the business end a couple of years ago) wanted a reduction in the rent he paid to the DeVries family partnership that owns the building [[Dave is the majority shareholder in this partnership. I'm not sure if Tom is a member), or he threatened to close the store and just keep the more profitable wholesale business. Apparently Dave said "fine, I'll run my own damn store then." - the proposed 1887 Cheese Shop. In the meantime though, Tom is selling off what's left of his stock and not restocking the store, and is going through with his threat to close the original R. Hirt. Sad and stupid, but then families can be like that sometime...

**65memories** · November-17-11, 04:01 PM

Eastside Al is correct. It is one big family feud. One of the nephews stops in at Zeffs for breakfast every Saturday and his story supports Eastside Al's scenario. He said the family split has gotten progressively worse during the past few years to where it is now. That is one of the reasons you didn't see all the merchandise outside the store this year [[lawn globes, birdhouses, clay pots, etc.).

**Detroitnerd** · November-17-11, 04:03 PM

Expect more news to come down the pike after the closing, probably after the first week of next month ...

**Lowell** · November-17-11, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

The family does own the building [[it's actually the DeVries family), but the one who now controls the building [[Dave DeVries) is different from the one who now controls the store & wholesale business [[Tom DeVries, who is Dave's nephew). So this is really a family dispute writ large.

Near as I can tell from what I've read and heard about it, with the store's lease ending, Tom [[who bought Dave out of the business end a couple of years ago) wanted a reduction in the rent he paid to the DeVries family partnership that owns the building [[Dave is the majority shareholder in this partnership. I'm not sure if Tom is a member), or he threatened to close the store and just keep the more profitable wholesale business. Apparently Dave said "fine, I'll run my own damn store then." - the proposed 1887 Cheese Shop. In the meantime though, Tom is selling off what's left of his stock and not restocking the store, and is going through with his threat to close the original R. Hirt. Sad and stupid, but then families can be like that sometime...

So sad. It is like a Greek tragedy where the gods quarrel and the mortals [we the long-time customers and the Eastern Market image in this case] suffer.

SteveJ · December-04-11, 11:31 AM

Anyone have any updates on this. I went there about a month ago and stocked up. The cheese I get can't be found anywhere else except online. Its going to suck to have to pay double the price instead of a 15 min Saturday morning drive.

bartock · December-04-11, 07:10 PM

Some might think that it would be a good name for this site.

**Chinman** · December-05-11, 12:08 PM

you can go to the store and read the letter posted by Tom on the window.

then go to Vivio's or Cost Plus and read the letter about the new store.

**detroittrader** · December-05-11, 04:53 PM

The gentlemen with the blog Sweet Juniper has a piece about R J Hirt closing, with pictures. Also, it's combined with a horrible story about his garden being torn out for Detroit Lions parking. Check it out if you have a few minutes: http://www.sweet-juniper.com/

SteveJ · December-05-11, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by Chinman

you can go to the store and read the letter posted by Tom on the window.

then go to Vivio's or Cost Plus and read the letter about the new store.

Can you paraphrase it please. Not planning on going down there for a couple weeks.

SteveJ · December-22-11, 07:11 PM

Any updates on this. Can't believe they closed my favorite store.

**Gistok** · December-22-11, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by detroittrader

The gentlemen with the blog Sweet Juniper has a piece about R J Hirt closing, with pictures. Also, it's combined with a horrible story about his garden being torn out for Detroit Lions parking. Check it out if you have a few minutes: http://www.sweet-juniper.com/

Thanks for the link detroittrader.... what a horrible story [[well written, just tragic) about the garden becoming parking for 1/2 dozen days a year. Kinda makes you realize the effect that the old Tiger Stadium had on the Corktown neighborhood for so many decades...