After being slammed in cyberspace for bad food and worse service, the not-yet-popular Bubby’s restaurant in DUMBO is taking notes and fighting for its life.
The restaurant, an off-shoot of the original TriBeCa eatery, was rumored to be in trouble last week when diners complained on a neighborhood blog, BrooklynRecord.com, that the food was bad and the service mediocre.
“I am saddened to note what appear to be the early warning signs that one of DUMBO’s main eateries may be in the early stages of a painful death,” wrote one blogger. “Things are quickly headed for the skids.”
This criticism came just weeks after Bubby’s was temporarily closed by the Health Department for several health code violations. Though the offenses were quickly fixed and the restaurant reopened within days of being closed, the critics moved in like sharks circling a big bucket of delicious cherry pie (a Bubby’s speciality).
“Bubby’s is extremely poorly managed,” said a commenter who identified himself as Clinton Hillbilly. “The kids’ area is always in a shambles and the bathroom is often dirty. The food has gone way downhill while the prices have gone up.”
But the restaurant’s owner, Ron Silver, isn’t about to let the sharks tear him to pieces. In fact, he’s listening. “Any kind of feedback is important for me,” says Silver. “The onus is on us now to change things.”
For one thing, Silver fired the chef whose food caused so much complaint among customers, and replaced him with … himself.
“I have a good crew [in DUMBO],” he said, “and I’ll be managing the cooking while they do most of the work.”
Silver is also planning to ask parents to keep a rein on unruly children — another complaint against the restaurant.
“It’s difficult for a new business to figure out what services to offer without bleeding to death,” Silver said.
Meanwhile, Bubby’s does stand out in the nabe for some unique services that they already offer.
“We did meet a couple who is planning their wedding there — and they said that they chose Bubby’s for the great views, fair prices, and the very kind staff,” said the Brooklyn Record.
Already the changes have been noticed, says Silver, adding that Saturdays have been really good for the restaurant the past couple of weeks. And he has no intention of quitting. In fact, he’s looking forward to new real estate development in DUMBO that will bring thousands of residents to the area in the next few years.
“I believe as DUMBO grows, we will grow with it,” he said. “We’re going to keep plugging away.”
