Comfort food soothes
Lodi eateries provide sweet & savory treats
As stay-at-home orders have gone into place around California, local eateries have had to swivel from dinein service — no longer permitted under the orders — to delivery and takeout, which are encouraged.
Three local dessert shops are finding a new niche: comforting Lodians who need a little sweetness in their lives with desserts to-go.
Corner Scone Bakery
322 N. California St., Lodi; 209-7473418
Corner Scone doesn’t just serve sweets like scones and cinnamon rolls. The Lodi bakery also offers sandwiches, soups, quiches, pot pies and other mealtime staples.
They’ve revised their menu during the shutdown to reflect that, while some customers are itching to satisfy a sweet tooth, others want to make sure their parents in isolation are getting a hot, nutritious meal.
“Our business has completely changed,” owner Terrie Green said.
For example, Corner Scone has always carried Genova bread, but they’ve been selling a lot of it lately. Also popular is Temple Coffee.
“We’re doing a lot of delivery. We have a lot of people buying food for their families,” Green said. (She and her staff are happy to write a message on the delivery box for those ordering for others.)
They’re also selling a lot of 2pound packages of cookie dough and cookie decorating kits. Families are looking for activities to do together, Green said.
Another popular comfort food is the cinnamon rolls.
“People say they’re like grandma’s cinnamon rolls,” she said.
Green and her staff have put away the usual dining tables, and instead have decorated the shop’s small lobby with bright fresh flowers and springtime decor.
They also have alarms set reminding them to clean and wash hands regularly.
Green hopes the bakery’s offerings can spread a little cheer right now.
“We’re in it together. We just need to support and be positive for one another,” she said.
Honey Treat Yogurt Shoppe
201 W. Lodi Ave., Lodi; 209-369-8072 Honey Treat Yogurt Shoppe owners Suzanne and John Lopes are providing locals — regular customers and new visitors alike — with plenty of cold, sweet frozen yogurt to get them through the day.
The shop has curbside pickup, takeout and free delivery in Lodi, and is on DoorDash for those outside the delivery area. Customers have been very please to find out that Honey Treat is still selling their frozen treats.
“We just want the elderly to know that we’re still here for them, and people who can’t leave the house because they have little kids,” Suzanne Lopes said.
The yogurt shop also serves up rotating menu of special flavors every day. Customers on Monday of this week were treated to caramel macchiato, New York cheesecake, Almond Joy and watermelon sorbet. Tuesday’s offerings were Irish mint, root beer float, caramel macchiato and pineapple sorbet.
The dessert shop is operating under new hours of 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and now limits the number of people inside the shop’s lobby to no more than five at a time. They’re also cleaning the door handles between each customer, John Lopes said.
As the weather warms up — and if the stay-at-home orders allow — the Lopeses hope to expand their hours.
“We’re just trying to do our part to help people out,” Suzanne Lopes said.
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
115 S. School St., Suite 4, Lodi; 209-3398275
The Downtown Lodi chocolate shop is continuing to sell its gourmet treats, from its signature caramel and candied applies to truffles, fudge, toffee and more.
They’re also teaming up with Brick House, a new restaurant in Downtown Lodi, to provide their apples as a dessert option for people who order family meals through their new “One Stop Shop” package.
“We have a store full of treats and we’re ready to serve them,” owner Jeanne Bria said.
Customers have been excited to find the chocolate shop open for both curbside ordering and in-store pickup, Bria said. They’ve also been delivering, she said.
“Everyone who walks in is coming in very excited. It’s been a wonderful response. Everyone is supported,” she said.
So far, the chocolate shop hasn’t made any menu changes, so regular customers will still be able to find their favorite treats.
In the meantime, the Rocky Mountain team is working hard to keep things running as close to normal as they can manage and bring a little sweetness and happiness to their customers.
The store is open from noon to 6 p.m. daily, and they recently posted their full menu on Facebook and Instagram to help people putting in delivery or curbside orders.
“We’d love the support. We are here to serve,” Bria said.