Apologies for the lack of a pastry to talk about yesterday. I've been on the hunt to confirm or dispel bakery rumors I'd been hearing all last week and now have enough credible information to share with you the stories of some hometown classic bakeries that closed, might close or might be selling.
First, Coco's Cupcake Cafe in Shadyside. I'm a little late to this story, but Coco's was one of the first bakeries that was willing to hire me and teach me the ways of cupcakes and incidentally, it was the first bakery I went to in Pittsburgh, so it holds a special place for me.
Coco's closed on June 27, 2010. They'd been in business for 3.5 years and were building a strong following for their freshly made cupcakes. We've already discussed that Vanilla Pastry is doing some of the best cupcakes you'll find in town, but Coco's certainly had a niche. Their cupcakes were baked fresh every morning and they also made sure that each day, they had 2 vegan flavors for the vegan, egg-free, and dairy-free community.
With interesting flavors and special attention to beautiful details, Coco's was a unique little cupcake store with a lot to offer. So when they closed suddenly at the end of June, it was a shock to many. Of all the reasons a bakery might close- lack of business, poor cash flow management, low quality product- Coco's suffered none of these. Unfortunately, through no fault of their own, their lease was not up for renewal for another year and they had no plans in place to move, so it was just time to close the doors.
Another bakery going through some big changes is Sugar B's in Venetia, PA. If you visit their website, you'll see that Sugar B's has closed. A husband and wife owned operation, Sugar B's was all about scratch baking and family friendly atmosphere. When the husband passed away, the wife decided her heart wasn't in it any more. For the time being, Sugar B's is closed, but they will be reopening sometime in the future, as she was able to sell her business. We'll see how Sugar B's does with it's new owners.
Finally, and this was the biggest rumor I'd heard last week, Prantl's Bakery. The Prantl's family sold their bakery about 3 years ago to the current owners, but the rumor was that Prantl's was either closing or selling again. According to counter employees, neither is happening. But then again, these plans aren't always shared from owners to employees so we'll just have to keep our eyes and ears peeled for the true story.
First, Coco's Cupcake Cafe in Shadyside. I'm a little late to this story, but Coco's was one of the first bakeries that was willing to hire me and teach me the ways of cupcakes and incidentally, it was the first bakery I went to in Pittsburgh, so it holds a special place for me.
Coco's closed on June 27, 2010. They'd been in business for 3.5 years and were building a strong following for their freshly made cupcakes. We've already discussed that Vanilla Pastry is doing some of the best cupcakes you'll find in town, but Coco's certainly had a niche. Their cupcakes were baked fresh every morning and they also made sure that each day, they had 2 vegan flavors for the vegan, egg-free, and dairy-free community.
With interesting flavors and special attention to beautiful details, Coco's was a unique little cupcake store with a lot to offer. So when they closed suddenly at the end of June, it was a shock to many. Of all the reasons a bakery might close- lack of business, poor cash flow management, low quality product- Coco's suffered none of these. Unfortunately, through no fault of their own, their lease was not up for renewal for another year and they had no plans in place to move, so it was just time to close the doors.
Another bakery going through some big changes is Sugar B's in Venetia, PA. If you visit their website, you'll see that Sugar B's has closed. A husband and wife owned operation, Sugar B's was all about scratch baking and family friendly atmosphere. When the husband passed away, the wife decided her heart wasn't in it any more. For the time being, Sugar B's is closed, but they will be reopening sometime in the future, as she was able to sell her business. We'll see how Sugar B's does with it's new owners.
Finally, and this was the biggest rumor I'd heard last week, Prantl's Bakery. The Prantl's family sold their bakery about 3 years ago to the current owners, but the rumor was that Prantl's was either closing or selling again. According to counter employees, neither is happening. But then again, these plans aren't always shared from owners to employees so we'll just have to keep our eyes and ears peeled for the true story.
