CINCINNATI — An East Price Hill bakery that served generations of West Side families is closing after being in business for more than a century.
A sign was posted to the bakery's door on Monday that announced the business's closure due to “landlord electrical issues.”
“We just had a lot of unfortunate things that happened with the building," owner Paul Hartmann said. "We just couldn’t go on anymore. It was getting too hard to deal with.”
Hartmann said the bakery was without power for a few days which led to them losing much of their fresh produce.
“We haven’t had any electric since Thursday and they said it’s going to be another two or three weeks," Hartmann said. "So we lost everything in our freezers and refrigerators. Even the other stuff goes bad about a week or so. You can’t just let it sit there."
The losses would have cost too much to replace, according to the couple – and that ultimately led to their decision to close. Now they’re saying their goodbyes as well as a big thank you to those who have supported them over the years.
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“We will miss you, and I’m sorry we had to say goodbye this way,” Darla Hartmann said.
For some customers, the bakery was more than just a place to eat.
“It’s my childhood,” said Tiffani Morehead, who now lives in Nashville.
She started a Facebook group in hopes of helping the bakery stay in business, but the owners said they’re fine with the decision to close. The Hartmanns said they'd already planned to retire next year. They want to stay connected with their customers by sharing some of their recipes online in the future.
“They kept us going all these years and we had a nice life,” Paul Hartmann said of the bakery’s customers.
The couple said they appreciate the loyalty and friendships they made over the years, and that’s what they’ll miss the most.
