Prime Corner, the Hampden bodega carrying upscale and locally made food and essentials, will close at the end of May, the business posted on Facebook.
“I’m just in awe thinking of how many new friends / sweet popups / pints of Taharka there have been in such a short time,” owner Tess Russell posted on Facebook. “Bodegas are defined by their communities as much as their snacks and we’ve had so much fun being yours.”
The corner store opened in June 2018, taking over the space previously occupied by the kid-friendly restaurant Play Cafe. Carrying more artisanal fare like dairy-free ice cream, gourmet cheeses and kombucha, Prime Corner sought to replicate the best bodegas in San Francisco and Brooklyn, New York, Russell told Baltimore magazine last summer.
“I’ve always had this interest in corner stores and talking to the people who run them about what’s in stock and what people need,” she said then. “It’s totally based on interactions.”
Prime Corner is probably the only corner grocer in Baltimore that can highlight a write-up in Architectural Digest. Russell told the publication she worked with local artist to design the space, and sought to enlist other artists to create T-shirts and tote bags.
“I’m really hoping to do something inspired by the spoons that [musician] Mitski created for her most recent tour merch,” she said. “Something practical for the community but a little weird.”
I live around the corner from Prime Corner and this is not a surprise. For the past few months or so the selves were not being restocked and they were bare to start. I’ve purchased spoiled premade food. But I will miss the easy access to fresh baked bread and fun little treats. Hoping something good foes in that space.