Two more popular Utah bakers call it a day

Relatively hot on the heels of downtown baker Les Madeleines deciding to close their doors – here are two more to add to a growing lamentful list. And again these are both businesses that managed to survive that *difficult first year* but didn’t manage to make it through the C19-after effects, you know, items like dairy production down and costs going up.

Big O Doughnuts

Taking to social media, popular vegan baker Big O cited tripling of certain costs in their decision to close the near decade old business. The post reads:

“Okay y’all. The reality is we would have to charge $10 a doughnut for this business to work. When we started in 2015 a box of oil was $24, it’s now $75. After nearly 9 years it’s time to move on. The Big O Doughnuts last day will be January 15. Come get them while you can!

Thank you for supporting us for so many years!!! Thank you doughnuts for the equivalent of a business degree, many friends, and the man of my dreams. Follow my tea company @thequeenstea to keep in touch! Don’t cry for me because I’m moving to Costa Rica! Pura Vida!”

Many surprised and shocked users asked if the secretly guarded donut recipes (the best in town according to some, dairy free or not) would be up for grabs – or even the business itself for the right price.

Brownies Brownies Brownies

Meanwhile, over in Sugar House, December 30th will be the last day for this dessert shop (pictured above). Also taking to social media the brand confirmed they’d be hosting one ‘last bash’ to celebrate their four year old company – before closing the doors for good. The event will see food trucks and fun, and will be held 4.00 – 8.00 p.m. at their 1751 S. 1100 E. location. Their Instagram post reads:

“JOIN US for ONE LAST BASH! After 4+ great (yet highly unpredictable and stressful) years, we’ve decided to close our doors.  We will be open through New Year’s Eve – so please take us to your parties, buy our merch, tip our team and share your best BROWNIESx3 memories (so we can cry happy tears instead of the ugly ones we’ve got going on right now ). AND SAVE THE DATE! We’ll be having ONE LAST BASH at the bakery on Friday, December 30th from 4-8pm. More event details to come.”

Eat. Smile. Tip.

Feel free to do those three in any order you like, but do them often and in sequence if you want your favorite business to survive. Both of the above closures highlight points noted in this recent story.

Certainly, businesses at these lower price points are less able to respond to input cost shocks. Much like Hector’s before them, Big O noted the true price of their pastries would be impractical in commercial terms. How many would really buy a ten dollar donut? How many would instead take to Reddit or Yelp accusing the owners of price gouging?

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Stuart Melling

Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you!  I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC.  I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City  dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.

I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV.   Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune.    I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand.   What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.

Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.