One Word

There are many things which are performing vanishing acts in New York City, one being single-business districts and another being manufacturing. At Bari Equipment at 240 Bowery, both are alive and well.

A unique feature of Manhattan has been the single-business districts: diamond, flower, lighting, restaurant supply, photo, sewing machine, meatpacking, fur, and garment. Some of these districts are no longer, while others have all but disappeared. A handful still operate, such as the restaurant supply district on the Bowery between Houston and Delancey Streets. Here, you will find New York City's primary marketplace for restaurant equipment. This is one of the most well-known restaurant supply districts in the country, offering some of the best pricing.

The Bowery is Manhattan's oldest thoroughfare, a part of the Lenape footpath prior to European settlement. In the 19th century, the Bowery became known for its music halls and theaters. By the 1920s-30s, the area was known as impoverished and remained a slum until late in the 20th century with the gentrification of the Lower East Side and East Village.

If you have noticed the brand of pizza ovens while waiting for a slice in New York City, most likely you are familiar with the name Bari. Established in the 1940s by Nicola Bari, the business is still family-owned and -operated. It spans the better part of a block of the Bowery and now employs over 50 people. The company makes pizza ovens and refrigeration units used worldwide. Bari also supplies a broad range of restaurant equipment and supplies.
The ovens are still manufactured in an adjoining building at their Bowery location. The deck oven, lined with stone, is the one typically seen in New York City pizza parlors.

In the 1980s, I purchased an expensive racing bicycle from a real biking aficionado. Uneasy about making such a substantial purchase and fretting over the nuances and components, he assured me becoming knowledgeable in the world of bicycles was easy. He told me, "You only need to know one word: Campagnolo." Perhaps in the world of pizza ovens, you only need to know one word: Bari :)

Note: Campagnolo is a high-end manufacturer of bicycle components from Vicenza, Italy. They have an unbroken record of winners of the Tour de France using Campagnolo from 1968 to 1998.