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Bibiane Bakery, the popular bakery and coffee shop located at 349 Main St. in downtown Pleasanton, will close its doors at 5 p.m. tonight, ending a five-year run as a key customer attraction in Tully’s Plaza.
Pat Beck, who owns Bibiane along with her husband Skip and their daughter and the bakery’s pastry chef Amy Fitzsimons, said the bakery has outgrown its floor space.
“With only 750 square feet of total space here, we can’t meet the growing wholesale business we have and need to move on,” she said. “We need triple the space we have now.”
While she’d prefer to stay in downtown Pleasanton, she said her business is also considering tenant relocation offers from Dublin and Livermore.
The Becks, utilizing the professional skills of New York-trained Fitzsimons as their pastry chef, opened the bakery in 2006. Business slumped, as it did for many retailers, with the recession starting in 2008, but contracts to supply specialty rolls, breads, cakes and other pastries to local restaurants and caterers have helped grow the business.
“Once we have signed on to a larger place, we hope to woo these accounts back,” Pat Beck said.
Beck said she’d prefer staying in Tully’s Plaza for its ambiance and atmosphere.
“If I could knock down a few walls, we could stay here and increase the size of our kitchen,” she said. But Coldstone is next door on one side and Fontina’s Restaurant is on the other side, so that’s not possible.”
Beck said today’s last day will be like any other, but at 5 p.m. she’ll lock the door for the last time. With Bibiane’s lease running through Oct. 31, the crew will use the month to consider other options and remove the bakery’s customized kitchen equipment.
As for Fitzsimons, she’s been a pastry chef for 16 years and has worked for some of the top caterers and restaurants in San Francisco.
“She’s in big demand and will have no trouble moving on when she chooses,” Beck said.
I often did shop and dine in downtown Pleasanton, but I stopped because of the people standing in Tully Plaza with large signs shouting and preaching at everyone that they are all going to hell unless they believe in God. They are creating a very unwelcoming atmosphere with all the screaming and shouting. Can’t my family enjoy our dinner in peace? Because of this, I’m taking my money elsewhere. No more downtown Pleasanton for my family.
This write-up is a challenging read.
I’m left wondering if the bakery is relocating or closing for good.
I read that the bakery “has outgrown it’s floorspace” and that “We can’t meet the growing wholesale business we have and need to move on,” which suggests the bakery is relocating.
Then I read that the bakery is “considering tenant relocation offers from Dublin and Livermore,” which suggests the bakery is relocating.
Then I read “Business slumped . . . with the recession starting in 2008, but contracts to supply . . . local restaurants and caterers have helped grow the business,” suggesting trouble followed by nuanced improvement, “nuanced” meaning that “helped grow” doesn’t seem to imply recovery, which suggests the bakery is closing.
Then I read “Once we have signed on to a larger place . . .,” which suggests the bakery is relocating.
However, this is followed by, “we hope to woo these accounts back,” implying that the above-mentioned contracts were subsequently lost, which suggests the bakery is closing.
Then I read, “If I could knock down a few walls, we could stay here and increase the size of our kitchen,” which suggests the bakery is relocating.
Then I read, “the crew will use the month to consider other options,” which implies that there is no plan beyond 5:00PM and suggests the bakery is closing.
Then I read about Fitzsimons that “She’s in big demand and will have no trouble moving on when she chooses,” rather than, say, “Although she’s in big demand, she will continue to be a part of the Bibiane family in its new location.” This suggests the bakery is closing.
Perhaps the headline should read,
“Bakery closing for now but hopes to reopen in larger location.”
Mike
Mike, spot on with your comments. Bibiane, I moved here from the East Coast in January and you have hands down, the best pastries I have ever had. Your Cuban sandwich and Ham and Cheese Croissant will leave a void in my stomach.
If you don’t come back, then we need to know where Amy goes to showcase her talents!
Agreed…this story makes no sense at all. If you’re doing well, you don’t shut down with time remaining on your lease. Would be nice if someone could post an accurate version of what’s going on with this business.
You should check your facts before you write an article. Ms. Fitzsimons has not worked at Bibiane Bakery since April.
Steve makes a very good point; and if anonymous is correct, then the story is indeed misleading.
I didn’t want to speculate earlier; but after reading this information and seeing a similar style in the Murphy’s Paw story, I’m wondering if PW is diversifying by adding public relations to its news-gathering function.
Mike
The woman who ran that shop was absolutely horrible with people. I’m pleased to see her shop close.