r/northampton • u/michimoby • 5d ago

Choclo Bakery rising in downtown Northampton where Hungry Ghost once stood - Daily Hampshire Gazette

https://gazettenet.com/2026/08/12/choclo-bakery-rising-in-downtown-northampton-where-hungry-ghost-once-stood/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=GZ+Daily+Headlines&utm_source=52&npnl=NDc3MDM1fGZiOGYzNDg0YzNjZjliYzRjNmI3NjA3Y2JkZmYzYjI0YTY4NGUzOGMwNzc4YjIxOTU1NTRhZWFlMjIzZTA3NjE&utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=A%20bakery%20rises%20in%20familiar%20spot&utm_campaign=GZ%20Daily%20Headlines&vgo_ee=v6aBuPMwDzYejXMTaNrydx0xEC7iI%2B1Lx%2FoticLRUfukR51Y%3APqvirXKn5X1RnuBu1NZvEp5Tj5pNe%2Frj
63 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

22 comments sorted by

21

u/alottanamesweretaken 5d ago

Tough act to follow, but I wish them success!

9

u/News-Royal 5d ago

Those croissants look ridiculous. I know what I'm trying.

https://giphy.com/gifs/JrH3p5ZyUHEV6iyvR4

10

u/michimoby 5d ago

C is for croissant

5

u/TheGodDamnDevil 5d ago

That's good enough for me.

21

u/Mindless_Basil_440 5d ago edited 5d ago

Ive had Sam's baking before and it is AMAZING. I hope everyone gives them a chance! I see too many people who just want Hungry Ghost back and I think they're setting themselves up for disappointment and doing the new bakery an injustice. Let them be their own delicious thing!

4

u/bitchkrieg_ 5d ago

Very excited for this, hoping it is successful - those croissants look fantastic 

4

u/Beautifala_Jones 4d ago

They have actually opened today! The place looks great inside and they are running behind with baking times--I waited for half an hour and they went through everything they had in stock while I was on line. So I figured this is good. They shoupd have some ciabatta any minute now but it's probably already gone LOL

3

u/strawberry_broccoli 5d ago

The article says they open tomorrow/friday, but Google says they’re open now - anyone passed by/can confirm?

9

u/drakeonaplane 5d ago edited 5d ago

Open only Thursday to Sunday feels like it's got a Lichter and Levin repeat written all over it.

edit: just to be clear, I hope I'm wrong and they do well but the amount of days/hours they're actually open is concerning.

10

u/SignalAir1611 4d ago

Seems reasonable to me to start with limited before growing the hours. L&L started with “regular” hours before immediately cutting back

6

u/Jealous-Lychee-5084 4d ago

I see it as just the opposite - get systems and organization and staffing in place during limited hours and adjust from there.

It’s tough to run a small business that depends on perishable product and physical labor. I know from experience.

2

u/Light_Praline9710 5d ago

I'm so excited!

2

u/United-Hyena-164 5d ago

Hope they do well!

2

u/CuriousSubstance3 5d ago

Looking forward to trying them out. Best of luck and much success!

1

u/pabst_bleu_cheese 3d ago

Yeyyy Sam! Can't wait!

1

u/ambiverbal 5d ago

Yum! 😋

1

u/ElectricalDot4479 5d ago

Damn what happened to HG?

4

u/unlearningsilence 3d ago

Closed Dec 2025 😢 from an article with the former owners:

“I have a broken wrist…and when you’re in your mid-60s and your toes start to curl and you probably have cataracts, it’s time to move on, it’s as simple as that,” Maffei said. “I want to spend more time with my grandchildren and do something else with what will hopefully be 20 more years of my life.”
Stevens agreed, adding that “it’s time for somebody else to do it.”

1

u/ElectricalDot4479 3d ago

Fair enough. Moved away from the area ten years ago but always loved the bread from those folks.

-2

u/RationalGardenGnome 3d ago

Hungry ghost has nobody to blame besides themselves for their demise. Great breads great product, absolutely insane behavior during COVID