Those looking for their last chance to grab their favourite treats from Willow Cakes & Pastries will want to mark Jan. 26 on their calendars.
After more than 20 years in business on Mary Street, co-owner Catherine O’Donnell announced the closure of the Niagara-on-the-Lake staple’s in-person bakery on social media last week.
“Between the escalating cost of rent and the rising prices of high-quality ingredients, it has become more difficult to sustain our operations in the way we’ve always envisioned,” O’Donnell said in the statement.
Son and co-owner Sean O’Donnell said the issue of achieving a work-life balance was another major deciding factor in closing the storefront.
“It’s time to enjoy the success that she’s already had and relish in the fact that she did what she always wanted to do and became a staple of the town while doing it,” he told The Lake Report.
The closure of the Mary Street storefront, however, doesn’t mark the end of tasty baked goods from the O’Donnells.
With last week’s announcement came the introduction of Simply Shortbread, an online mail-order business and its sister business, the Willow, dedicated to cakes and custom orders, just without an in-person bakery.
The company plans to stay connected with NOTL, hosting pop-up events and bringing treats to customers in new and unique ways, O’Donnell said in the statement.
“We’ve noticed there’s a large demand for our products still so, without having a storefront and doing it café style, we’re figuring the logistics out,” Sean O’Donnell said in an interview.
The social media announcement was met with more than 100 comments from NOTLers expressing how much they will miss the iconic bakery café.
“We are still looking to service the general public, just on a placed order sort of basis,” Sean O’Donnell said.
One idea O’Donnell mentioned was a “sourdough Saturday” pop-up where people can stop by to pick up bread they have ordered.
The unit leased for Simply Shortbread is “just down the street” from Willow Cakes & Pastries, he added, noting that Willow headquarters won’t be leaving NOTL any time soon.
And NOTLers can still look forward to enjoying a slice of Willow cake at the annual Canada Day celebration this summer.
