Jackson residents get behind bagel shop to keep it from closing

JACKSON - Following a community outcry over the shop's impending closure, Pearl Street Bagels owner Heather Gould agreed Tuesday to extend her lease with the property owner, Jeff Neishabouri.

The two spoke by phone and discussed a lease extension. In an email to the News&Guide, Neishabouri said he was open to extending the lease until the property at 145 W. Pearl Ave. is redeveloped.

"I feel like this town really rallied for Pearl Street Bagels," Gould said Tuesday afternoon, a few hours after Neishabouri called to ask about renewing the lease. "In light of how upset people were, I think that Jeff realized how important Pearl Street is to this community."

Last week, Gould said she would be closing the bagel shop in the center of town after almost 35 years of operation. She said she had been unsuccessful in reaching Neishabouri and found herself without other options but to open a new eatery in Driggs, Idaho. Her Jackson lease was due to end March 31.

As news of the shop's closure reached the community, social media lit up with a mix of emotions, including sadness, anger and frustration. Current and former community members lamented the impending loss of a place that many said was not just a bagel shop, but a central community gathering place and an icon of the days before downtown gentrification.

News&Guide reporters met in person Monday with Neishabouri and his wife, Mina, to discuss future development plans at the Pearl Street Bagels location and other downtown properties, but the couple reacted angrily and an interview was not conducted.

Instead Jeff Neishabouri provided the News&Guide with a written statement and answers to questions emailed to him by a reporter.

Neishabouri, a rug merchant and developer, said in an email that he, too, was saddened by the community's reaction to the news that the bagel shop would be closing.

"I urge people to act wisely, avoid getting emotional and have a civil conversation," he wrote in an email to the paper. "But unfortunately, since last week, we have had threats of violence and racist comments made. I know how influential the culture and charm are in downtown Jackson Hole. I have invested 35 years of my life into this community, and we will be here for the long term. The last thing I want is for people to hurt, harm or disrespect my family or children."

Neishabouri wrote that he was shocked to read about Pearl Street closing at the end of its lease.

"I have not gotten any communication from [Gould] regarding the renewal," he said in the email. "I work two blocks away so don't know why we had a miscommunication."

Emails provided to the News&Guide by Gould show that she had reached out to Neishabouri as recently as September asking to discuss a lease extension.

"The word is out on social media that your plans are to tear down the building housing Pearl Street Bagels and develop the lot," Gould wrote to Neishabouri in September. "My employees are understandably concerned about their livelihood and asking a lot of questions that I don't have the answer to. I know that my lease ends on March 31 of next year, but am wondering if extending it through the end of May (which would be our 35 year anniversary) or through next summer might be a possibility?"

Neishabouri also said in his statement that the bagel shop did not have a lease after he purchased the property from the Joy family in 2022.

A lease provided to the News&Guide from Gould shows the Joy family had inked a lease extension with her through March 2025 just before the family sold the lot to Neishabouri.

Neishabouri submitted a pre-application request to the Town of Jackson this summer, outlining plans for a 35,000-square-foot mixed-use building, and that's when Gould said she "saw the writing on the wall."

Neishabouri's limited liability companies, Running Deer and JN One, purchased the bagel shop lot and the adjoining lot on the corner of Pearl and Glenwood Street. The proposed redevelopment would stretch across the two lots.

"Having witnessed the transformation of Jackson Hole over three decades, I understand the importance of preserving our history and the culture of Jackson Hole," Neishabouri wrote in an email. "This development, which we as a community will honor, will pave the way for future growth, bringing liveliness and people together from our community. While change can be challenging, I believe it's also an opportunity to enhance our cultural landscape. My goal is to create spaces that reflect the unique spirit of Jackson Hole while supporting local businesses. I prioritize investing, supporting and helping start-ups, boutique shops and restaurants that make our community flourish."

This weekend, Gould posted on social media that she was grateful for the community's support.

"We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from the Jackson Hole community this week," she wrote on the Pearl Street Bagels social media page. "You all are what makes this town so special."