Shuttered
Cambridge’s City Café Bakery closing its doors
CAMBRIDGE — After a decade in business, the City Café Bakery location in Preston will be closing its doors in less than two weeks.
“It’s a shame,” said John Bergen, majority owner of the business, which has three other locations in Kitchener. “It really is our most community-oriented store.”
But it was never their best performer financially, Bergen said. And road construction in the area has only made matters worse.
“Because of the construction, our sales have dropped quite radically,” to the tune of about 20 per cent last year, Bergen said.
The business also was facing an approximately 35 per cent rent increase, he said. “It just didn’t make sense anymore.”
Bergen said it had already endured a significant drop in sales at its location at Ottawa and Charles streets in Kitchener thanks to LRT construction — adding that he still supports the project.
March 26 will be the last day of business for the 172 King St. E. location. Normal operations continue for the Kitchener sites. In addition to the location at 50 Ottawa St. S., there are cafés at 175 West Ave. and 499 Lancaster St. W.
Bergen said he feels for the loyal clientele at the Cambridge bakery-turned-meeting place. “There are a whole lot of people in Cambridge who didn’t know each other 10 years ago,” he said. “That’s the biggest lament I have over this.”