SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Long a favorite lunchtime dining spot in the financial district, Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery has become the latest long-standing San Francisco restaurant to call it quits because of the economic onslaught of the coronavirus outbreak.
The San Francisco locations are actually part of a chain of over 50 locations in three states — something most Bay Area patrons did not know. It’s large sandwich on homemade bread, morning muffins and bake goods, including an amazing chocolate chip cookies, and crafted soaps were a staple lunch fare for decades.
It had seven locations in the financial district alone and two in Oakland and employed hundreds of workers.
In the city, the chain’s operations had tried to stay afloat since the shelter-in-place order went into effect in mid-March shuttered most nearby offices by offering take out and delivery. But it wasn’t enough.
On Sunday, the chain replaced the front page of its website with a simple one-paragraph message.
“Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery is closing after 33 years of business. Current market conditions attributed to COVID-19 and shelter-in-place policies have decimated company revenues. Our last day of operations will be Tuesday, May 19th, 2020. Our customer service team will be reaching out to cancel and refund any orders placed for Wednesday, May 20th and beyond. We sincerely thank you for your business and support over the years.”
The chain was founded in the Bay Area in the 1980s and was headquartered in Pleasanton. It expanded other California locations and stores in Washington and Illinois.
Gov. Gavin Newsom released his new guidelines for resuming sit-down dining last week, but it will still be awhile before San Francisco Bay Area restaurants will be re-opening if they can.
Restaurant owners who spoke with KPIX 5 say they feel hopeful they can re-engage with the public under the new guidance.
“I came away more excited than burdened,” said Clay Walker, president of Gott’s Roadside chain of restaurants.
Walker is hopeful his fast-casual restaurants can adapt to the new state guidelines. Mainly — social distancing must be maintained, customers and employees should wear face coverings, and outdoor seating must be prioritized.
Restaurants can also consider screening guests for symptoms of COVID-19.
“Nothing on this list of requirements is unachievable, is it laborious? Sure, it’s one of the hardest businesses when the stars were aligned,” said Walker.
But he says he’s ready to make it work, and has already upped strict cleaning protocols at Gott’s, which has 7 Bay Area locations.
Poor House Bistro in San Jose known for its Cajun food says its biggest challenge will be re-configuring tables to be 6 feet apart, and turning a profit. Jay Meduri is still awaiting Santa Clara County’s rules for his restaurant.
“Depending on if they’re too restricted, we might just continue doing our takeout because it’s very hard to maintain an establishment when you have a minimal amount of people,” said Meduri.
Newsom did not give a date for the reopening of restaurants, it will likely be a disjointed process.
“None of this means anything if customers don’t feel safe. And none of this matters, if employees don’t feel safe and don’t want to come back to work,” said Newsom.
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May 18, 2020 at 01:06AM
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San Francisco Financial District Dining Favorite Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery Becomes Latest COVID-19 Shutdown Victim - CBS San Francisco
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