Pleasanton-based Specialty’s Café & Bakery will close its 50 locations in three states – a prominent local victim of conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“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,” company officials wrote on the chain’s website.
The firm’s official closing date was designated as Tuesday, May 19 – an abrupt end for a business which had established a loyal following at stores in Pleasanton and elsewhere over the years.
“I didn’t even know they were even in trouble,” said Dublin resident Paige Lindsey-Moss outside a Specialty’s location on Hopyard Road in Pleasanton. “So it took like a month? That’s so surprising – they were a good local business. We went there for coffee in the morning… they supplied a lot of local businesses with coffee and bakery products.”
“Our customer service team will be reaching out to cancel and refund any orders placed for Wednesday, May 20th and beyond,” the company posted to their website, now devoid of all but the notice of their closing. “We sincerely thank you for your business and support over the years.”
Owned by Mexico-based FEMSA corporation, Specialty’s Café & Bakery has had a presence in the Bay Area since 1987. The company owned and operated more than 50 shops in California, Washington and Illinois – including a location on Hopyard Road in Pleasanton and a small outlet cafe in a building at the Pleasanton Corporate Commons complex on Stoneridge Mall Road.
The company moved its headquarters to Pleasanton in recent years, maintaining offices in a building on Hopyard Road. The Specialty’s brand was acquired by FEMSA during transactions in 2016 and 2017.
First of many to come I’m afraid.
As long as all those big political donors and rappers got their loan money…..
Nice people in their stores.
That’s a loss. Dont think it was all virus related but they were a good local company once.