Le Pain Quotidien, which has been in the big, sunny corner space on West Broadway and Warren since 2008? 2007? was remodeled and it seems like a big improvement to me. They created cushioned banquettes, got rid of that weird room divider, and tucked seating into the windows on the south side so now the southern door, at the corner with Warren, is open again.

And the neon sign now says “The Daily Bread.”

(I haven’t eaten there since they served my nephew a waffle in a plastic bag, but I do love their tea service. Curious to see if the food changes now…)

In May 2020, the parent company filed for insolvency in Belgium, where the company was founded, and the United States division filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and all 98 U.S. locations closed. But the US side of things were acquired by Aurify Brands, which also at one point owned Maison Kayser. The Downtown locations closed then, but were open again by August 2020.

It must be this group making some improvements. There are also locations on South End Avenue and Broad Street.

The bakery was founded in Brussels in 1990 by chef Alain Coumont, and within a few months he had opened 10 more locations in Belgium. He opened his first restaurant here in 1997, the flagship on Madison, and now there are 26 locations in the city, though Coumont is no longer involved.