Gourmet shop regulars hungry for answers

BROOKLINE -- The four cash registers are there, the receipts from the final sales hanging over the counter. The lights are still on in the display cases, but no longer are those cases full of smoked salmon, cocktail shrimp, and hamachi sushi.

Yesterday, dozens of former customers made their Sunday pilgrimage to Zathmary's in search of goat cheese pizza, apple ginger scones, and a morning cappuccino. But their expectant smiles turned to frowns of consternation as they found the doors locked, lights dimmed, and chairs sitting atop tables. The popular gourmet food store and Coolidge Corner institution had closed. Zathmary's other location, in Needham Heights, also recently shut down.

''It was pretty much a staple of Coolidge Corner," said Michael Orsini, who was hoping to grab a quick bite from the 42-foot-long salad bar, only to find that Zathmary's had shut its doors for good last month. ''This was a great place."

The store, which advertised itself as a ''specialty foods marketplace," sold chocolates imported from Italy, freshly baked goods, and corned beef from the Carnegie Deli in New York. Zathmary's also had a drink called the Mocha Polar Cap, a concoction of frozen cappuccino and mocha topped with whipped cream. There were 14 tables in the dining area, and eight chefs worked on a typical day, each with an area of expertise.

''Their selection of pastries was amazing," said Lily Hsu, who had planned to show her out-of-town guest that the citrus meringue cookies really were to die for. ''This is really sad."

Zathmary's opened in February 2000 in Needham Heights, and several months later in Brookline. At the time, owners had dreams of nearly a dozen more locations, and they claimed to have the first place in Greater Boston to devote itself almost exclusively to ''world-class takeout." The store targeted working mothers and a go-go lifestyle, and it thrived on the notion that dinner on the run can taste good, even if it comes in plastic bags and containers.

''There are no more 9-to-5 jobs," the owner, Michael Szathmary, told the Globe in 2004. ''People don't have time to cook."

Szathmary did not return phone messages yesterday.

A supplier for Zathmary's said the company recently stopped paying for goods. ''They've left a lot of suppliers without a lot of money," said Grant Stockwell of Adams, Chapman Co., which provided Zathmary's with poultry. Suppliers were not told that the store was closing, Stockwell said. He said several were considering filing a petition in bankruptcy court to recoup their money.

Greg Cumings, a real estate broker who represents the landlord, said Zathmary's was not evicted. ''For whatever reasons, they couldn't make it work," he said. ''It would be nice to see a similar business go in there."

He said the landlord is currently showing the property to a variety of businesses, including restaurants and banks.

Coolidge Corner still features numerous dining options, but some see Zathmary's closure as part of a trend that has seen several quirky mom-and-pop stores give way to larger corporations.

Cinema Smith, a locally owned video store, closed last year and became a Verizon Wireless store. About 30 percent of the 200 stores in Coolidge Corner area are chains, according to the town's Economic Development Office.

''If that goes," said Orsini, pointing toward the Coolidge Corner Theatre across the street from Zathmary's, ''I'm outta here."

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.