Palo Alto Baking Co. to close Dec. 31 | Peninsula Foodist | Elena Kadvany | Palo Alto Online |

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By Elena Kadvany

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About this blog: I am a perpetually hungry twenty-something journalist, born and raised in Menlo Park and currently working at the Palo Alto Weekly as education and youth staff writer. I graduated from USC with a major in Spanish and a minor in jo...  (More)

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Palo Alto Baking Co. to close Dec. 31

Uploaded: Dec 27, 2018
The last day of 2018 will be Palo Alto Baking Co.'s final day of business at 381 S. California Ave., according to a note posted on the bakery's front door.

"It is with great regret that we inform you Palo Alto Baking Company will be closing indefinitely come the new year," the note reads.


Palo Alto Baking Co. will close on Dec. 31. Photo by Elena Kadvany.

The bakery has operated for 12 years on California Avenue, selling pastries, desserts, bread, sandwiches and soups.

Though the brick-and-mortar space is closing Monday, Dec. 31, Palo Alto Baking Co. will continue to sell wholesale baked goods, wedding cakes and specialty cakes. Customers can place orders by calling 650-321-3234 or emailing paloaltobaking@yahoo.com.

Ownership did not immediately return an interview request. This story will be updated if more information becomes available.
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Comments

 +   23 people like this
Posted by Sad, a resident of Barron Park,
on Dec 27, 2018 at 12:31 pm

Oh no! I liked this place - i loved their coffee. Not bitter, but nice and mild even without sugar.
I will miss it.


 +   8 people like this
Posted by Gus L., a resident of Barron Park,
on Dec 27, 2018 at 5:16 pm

Sad news, they will be missed.


 +   10 people like this
Posted by jh, a resident of Evergreen Park,
on Dec 27, 2018 at 6:56 pm
jh is a registered user.

Perhaps there was a change of ownership twelve years ago, but I know I was buying a Princess and Black Forest along with other seasonal treats from the Palo Alto Baking Company at least since the 1990's.


 +   17 people like this
Posted by sad, a resident of Evergreen Park,
on Dec 27, 2018 at 7:07 pm

This is really too bad. I sincerely hope that this neighborhood-serving business will not be replaced by yet another wine bar or health club catering to the young folks who commute to Cal Ave for their tech jobs.


 +   10 people like this
Posted by Bikermom, a resident of Mayfield,
on Dec 27, 2018 at 7:51 pm

Oh no! Please no health club. Cal Ave also needs its own ice cream shop


 +   3 people like this
Posted by DonaldRiver, a resident of Greenmeadow,
on Dec 28, 2018 at 7:24 am
DonaldRiver is a registered user.

That's so bad news


 +   3 people like this
Posted by CalAveLocal, a resident of Old Palo Alto,
on Dec 28, 2018 at 2:17 pm
CalAveLocal is a registered user.

Really too bad. This was our default place to get some bread for toast in the morning :(
Cal Ave needs a bakery, and an ice cream shop, and a good noodle place. And more places to take kids to that is nto silly smoothies in a bowl :(


 +   21 people like this
Posted by There should be a law, a resident of Fairmeadow,
on Dec 28, 2018 at 4:41 pm

The council needs to pass an emergency ordinance dictating what kind of store can fill this location. Property rights and the free market have no place in palo alto. Once we get a mom and pop store to invest their life savings into the location, we will make sure that the planning department and the inspectors delay the opening for as long as possible ( like with the gourmet hot dog space) [Portion removed.]


 +   15 people like this
Posted by A perfect example, a resident of another community,
on Dec 28, 2018 at 5:47 pm

There should be a lawâ€" while I am sure your comment above is sarcastic, there is a perfect example of this going on around the corner.
Remember the college terrace market? It was supposed to re-open on November ( after much handwringing by residents and the city, which was fining the owner). Apparently the application for signage and minor improvements was “deemed incomplete" by the city and is under review !!!!
Typical nonsense from Palo Alto. Does anyone wonder why businesses want to steer clear of Palo alto


 +   8 people like this
Posted by native, a resident of Triple El,
on Dec 29, 2018 at 9:39 am

My dad worked at a bakery in this location as a kid... in the 1930's? It was called Harlan's Bakery when I was growing up, so I was delighted to see it still functioning as a bakery all these years. Palo Alto is quickly losing its sense of history so when a story about a closure is written, please do a little homework when there's some history to be told. Doesn't help the cause toward the next best thing, but perhaps gives pause and reason to reflect. Thanks to Palo Alto Baking Company! We will miss you!


 +   5 people like this
Posted by PenPen, a resident of Mayfield,
on Dec 29, 2018 at 3:22 pm

This is truly saddening for Cal Ave. community. I really loved getting Danish pastries there and eating them at the park nearby. Their raspberry chocolate mousse was a real treat after a long and hard working day.

Thank you, Palo Alto Baking Co. I hope I can get your baked goods somewhere sometime soon!


 +   4 people like this
Posted by Johnny, a resident of Meadow Park,
on Dec 30, 2018 at 5:31 pm

Good riddance! I worked at this place more than 2 decades ago. The entire paradigm of hapless employees toiling away for unlivable minimum wage while the customers can sit on a table and indulge themselves in sugary pastries is just falling apart.
Who needs to drive to Cal Ave. for apple turnovers when you can get them faster and fresher using Amazon Prime. Welding and detailing cars is in higher demand. Why should anyone waste time on cake frosting. I'm sorry that certain old farts have lost a special place to enjoy Kona coffee with a sugar brioche.


 +   4 people like this
Posted by caught you, a resident of Midtown,
on Dec 31, 2018 at 1:44 pm

Palo Alto Weekly says this place has been in business 12 years.
@Johnny says he worked there more than 20 years ago.

Does everyone see the disconnect? Obviously not Johnny, since he then proceeds to whine about something that's obviously not connected.


 +   1 person likes this
Posted by Bonnie , a resident of another community,
on Dec 31, 2018 at 2:10 pm

My parents frequented Harlan's Bakery before it sold to Palo Alto Baking Co. They were loyal customers and became friendly with Mrs. Harlan who, as I recall, was a very nice and friendly person. She would often give my little children a cookie when I would accompany my mom. This was in the mid-late 1960's!!! Sad that Palo Alto Baking Co. will be gone, wonder if it has to do with having the rent raised, or, maybe the owners are retiring. A bakery is a labor intensive business perhaps they are just worn out! Lovely if another bakery would take over, every neighborhood needs a good bakery????


 +  Like this comment
Posted by turned over, a resident of Palo Alto Hills,
on Dec 31, 2018 at 3:12 pm

you cant find cherry turnovers anywhere like they had.they had the right recipe that's like decades ago style. cant find those everywhere. everybody's hung up on boring Scones. dry Christian suffering mode of current culture? sconjes.. give me a frosted carrot cake. or a baklava. but Scones? you really like just those all the time. the fear of ''too much fat inthat!''.that fire smoke did more damage than a million donuts. youre still sick from fire smoke chemicals but not sick of cookies. so brush fires are more dangerous than cream puffs.


 +   3 people like this
Posted by No Big Loss, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood,
on Jan 1, 2019 at 8:56 am

> My dad worked at a bakery in this location as a kid... in the 1930's? It was called Harlan's Bakery when I was growing up...

>> My parents frequented Harlan's Bakery before it sold to Palo Alto Baking Co. They were loyal customers and became friendly with Mrs. Harlan who, as I recall, was a very nice and friendly person. She would often give my little children a cookie when I would accompany my mom. This was in the mid-late 1960's!!!

I grew up in Evergreen during the 1950s-60s and fondly remember Harlan's Bakery.
My mother used to buy bread there and they would slice it with a machine. Yes, and a cookie for the kids.

>>>Good riddance! I worked at this place more than 2 decades ago. The entire paradigm of hapless employees toiling away for unlivable minimum wage while the customers can sit on a table and indulge themselves in sugary pastries is just falling apart.

Agreed. Years later, I recall the cake turnstile at PA Baking Co. and the nouveau-Palo Altans indulging in their sugar fix. The employees were like zombies and the PA Baking Co. was an entirely different world than Harlan's.


 +   1 person likes this
Posted by Local res, a resident of Barron Park,
on Jan 3, 2019 at 6:13 pm

I work on Cal Ave and the reality is that Palo Alto Bakery was terrible. Terrible food.


 +  Like this comment
Posted by Cat C, a resident of Cuesta Park,
on Feb 3, 2019 at 9:45 pm
Cat C is a registered user.

Oh no! I am so sad Palo Alto Baking Co is gone. Their mango mousse was amazing - I was talking them up with some of my colleagues just a few weeks ago, and now I can never get them.

I hope they can somehow reopen given that the bakery part of it seems to still be operating. I liked going there because it was cozy and warm all the time, and smelled like heaven.


 +  Like this comment
Posted by Dr. Javidan, a resident of Evergreen Park,
on Feb 12, 2019 at 11:28 am

What a shame. I had bought their cakes and breads to give to my customers for the past 10 years. It is silly how the whole profile of California Ave is changing, and not for the better.


 +  Like this comment
Posted by Sonia, a resident of Adobe-Meadow,
on Feb 19, 2019 at 8:30 pm

So sad to see the closure...I loved their Russian Teacakes and Danish. Great bread and dinner rolls. Some changes are harder to accept... Such a friendly atmosphere.


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