Due to coronavirus lockdown and the disappearance of its staple catering business, Specialty's Cafe & Bakery is shutting down permanently as of Tuesday. So get your cookie fix now or never.
In a press statement, the company said, "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 company was founded in San Francisco in 1987, as the Chronicle reports, and is now based in Pleasanton — though it's now owned by Mexico-based FEMSA Comercio. Specialty's has 50 locations across California, Washington, and Illinois, and all will be closing tomorrow.
In recent decades, Specialty's muffins, sandwiches, and big, chewy cookies were a familiar and comforting staple in offices all over San Francisco. And for that, they will be missed.
But other downtown businesses — especially those that rely on the daytime lunch crowd — are likely soon to follow, even as lockdown orders are slowly lifted. Curbside sales and delivery for many of these Financial District and SoMa businesses do not make very much sense with so few people going to offices — and with the prospect of remote working being available indefinitely for workers at many big companies, the downtown food landscape could be broadly decimated in the months to come.