Judith’s Market, an increasingly popular gathering spot in the West Grove since opening in September 2022, closed abruptly this week.
The Little Bahamas Business Corridor backed by Miami Commissioner Damian Pardo took a hit this week with the closing of Judith’s Market, a sidewalk café and gourmet boutique that was drawing customers to the western end of Grand Avenue.
Owner Judith Watson said she closed the gathering spot at 3870 Grand Avenue on Sunday after an increasingly bitter dispute with her landlord over money. Watson and her landlord don’t agree on who’s to blame, but they both expressed regret.
“It’s so sad,” Watson said. “I put all of my savings into this place.”
Clara Garcia, the landlord, said she would like to find a small restaurant or another café to fill the space, once she makes repairs. “I’m really sorry for what happened with Judith,” she said. “It was a really nice place.”
Watson said she hopes to reopen soon in a new location, preferably in the Grove, calling it a “new chapter” after a year in which she struggled to keep the business running while helping her husband recover from a stroke.
“If I survived him being in the hospital, and me running the business, I can survive this,” she said. “We all have our guardian angels.”
Watson said she likes her chances in part because of the positive reviews she got from customers who dropped by for a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, or one of her storefront events.
“My romantic idea worked,” she said. “People loved it.”
Judith’s Market was one of a handful of businesses that have opened recently on Grand Avenue near Douglas Road.
Others include Maya Hatcha, an iconic Grove boutique selling exotic clothing, jewelry and artwork; Fookem’s Fabulous key lime pie shop; Dogtown, a pet grooming and boarding business; and Jaimeluis Organic, a handcrafted furniture store.
Pardo’s office has invested $10,000 to give those and other West Grove businesses a boost, in part by posting blue banners along Grand Avenue that advertised the boulevard as the Little Bahamas Business Corridor.
Pardo also plans to open a district office in the neighborhood at 3646 Grand Avenue, and he supports efforts to promote the neighborhood’s Bahamian roots.
The closing of Judith’s Market came as a surprise to many who had watched the business develop a following since it first opened in September 2022.
Just last week, Watson hosted a breadmaking class that drew a dozen or so people to the neighborhood, including South Grove resident Julia Connett.
Connett described Watson as “charming and accommodating,” and said the café was the “perfect spot” for a cup of coffee or glass of wine. “It’s nice to have a place to go that’s away from the commotion of downtown Coconut Grove,” she said.”
“What a pity this has disappeared,” added John Dolson, another South Grove resident and a regular customer along with his wife Debbie.
“We always went to Judith’s because it was quiet, it was beautiful, and she took care of us,” Debbie Dolson said. “It was our favorite place to meet.”
