In response to the outpouring of nostalgia sparked by the imminent closure of Jégbüfé – one of Budapest’s most popular confectioneries, serving countless people at Ferenciek Square since 1952 – we did a little more reporting on the situation, and we’re glad to announce that the iconic sweet shop may reopen in the Párisi Udvar shopping arcade in March of 2017, following the complete refurbishment of this historic building. However, this all depends on what space will be available for the classic patisserie here; if no suitable site can be secured, Jégbüfé might reopen in another Pest location.
As we reported yesterday, Budapest’s Mellow Mood group is undertaking a 12-billion-forint renovation of the long-neglected Párisi Udvar, forcing the stunning building’s locally beloved tenant Jégbüfé out of their longtime location – but today we spoke with a Jégbüfé representative who assured us that the confectionery will reopen in a new Pest location with a tentative launch date of March 2017. While the Jégbüfé management would like to return to Párisi Udvar, they are currently unsure if another store location will be suitable within the ornate edifice – they were informed that any new site there will be considerably smaller than their current location, so if this will not be sufficient for their needs, the Pest Jégbüfé may reopen in another nearby building.
While this hopeful news is reassuring, this original Jégbüfé location will surely disappear forever after the August 29th closing date, and so We Love Budapest photojournalist Norbert Juhász stopped by to capture a few final images of this cherished sweet shop before it serves its last slice of cake on Saturday. We will keep you informed if we have any further updates about this bittersweet story…
