BernBaum’s, a sandwich and bagel shop formerly located on Broadway North in downtown Fargo, announced its permanent closure on Monday, Sept. 23. This shocking permanent closure was announced following a reported disturbance occurring around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21.
The casual eatery, claiming to bridge the gap between Jewish and Icelandic cuisines, was co-owned by couple Andrea Baumgardner and Brett Bernath. Andrea Baumgardner, chef and co-owner at BernBaum’s, was nominated two times for the James Beard Award presented by the James Beard Foundation to recognize and honor chefs and restaurateurs for their work creating exceptional food and communities within. Baumgardner was reached over the phone by The Minnesota Star Tribune and disclosed that the restaurant was closed due to “personnel reasons” on the call while busy making arrangements with the remnants of the former restaurant. Baumgardner reportedly posted to a message board to BernBaum’s employees and expressed her remorse, stating “It is a big failure on Brett’s and my part,” and “I am very sorry that it happened and that it frightened people.”
In a closing statement released to the public, the co-owners briefly stated “While the timing was unexpected for us, we recognize that the constant labor and attention that a restaurant requires is more than we can currently give it. We are grateful for everyone’s support, both within and without the business, and thank all in the community that added to its vibrant life.” The restaurant’s website and Facebook page have both been taken down following this closing statement.
While the official closure announced by the establishment itself is described quite peacefully, the story released by Fargo police and former cook Joshua Stallard tells a different story. The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that Fargo police were called on a disturbance that Saturday but neither party pressed charges. The disturbance in question was a confrontation of Stallard with co-owner Brett Bernath regarding the dismissal of a former female employee. The confrontation turned violent when Stallard refused to leave the restaurant and Bernath then physically removed him himself. The altercation even escalated at one point to Bernath losing his glasses and using a car windshield ice scraper to get Stallard to leave. Stallard reported Bernath had his hands around his throat, and Bernath reported Stallard tried to punch him but missed. Bernath did not wish to press charges and as Bernath had the right to remove him from his property, Stallard could not press charges.
Stallard’s argument for confronting his former boss, as revealed in a phone interview done by the Minnesota Star Tribune, revealed that Bernath had supposedly “unprofessionally” fired his co-worker, dropping inappropriate expletives such as the f-word. Bernath admitted to using such words in the firing that may have led to rise in tension.
In an attempt to play off the closure and provide further explanation, Bernath revealed that it was a long time coming for this closure, stating “We’ve been unhappy with the business for awhile, and we actually took a six-week vacation this summer to just get away and see if Andrea could cope with not being at the restaurant.”
All this led to the ultimate demise of the establishment. Despite the shock and sadness brought on by this sudden decision, it seems as if it is time to say goodbye to the former bagel shop for good.