Famed Melrose Avenue Bakery Abruptly Shutters

LOS ANGELES, CA — The New Year started on a sour note for sweet-toothed Angelenos with the abrupt closure of a longtime Los Angeles bakery chain.

Sweet Lady Jane, a celebrity favorite and 35-year staple, abruptly shuttered all its Los Angeles County locations — including its original Melrose Avenue — location on New Year's Day.

The company announced the sudden closure on its website and via email, surprising customers and employees alike. Sweet Lady Jane cited poor sales and the cost of living in California for the decision to shut down.

"After 35 years we are closing our doors. Our last day of business was December 31, 2023," the company wrote on it's website New Year's Eve. "We did not come to this decision lightly nor quickly. While the support and loyalty of our customers has been strong, sales are not enough to continue doing business in the state of California, allowing us to service our lease obligations and pay our treasured employees a living wage without passing those costs directly on to you.

"For more than three decades, we didn’t just build a loyal customer base, we created a real community. It has been a privilege to be included in your sweetest moments. Big and small."

The company first opened on Melrose Avenue in 1988 and, in recent years, expanded rapidly while enjoying a reputation as a go-to bakery among celebrities.

According to its website, Sweet Lady Jane has had locations in:

• Santa Monica
• West Hollywood
• Hancock Park
• San Fernando
• Manhattan Beach
• Encino
• Beverly Hills
• Calabasas

Employees were apparently just as surprised by the announcement as customers were. Sweet Lady Jane employees were notified of the closure by email on New Year’s Day, KTLA reported. The email reportedly told them they'd be paid through Friday and receive a severance package.

The announcement hit some fans hard, including celebrities. Many took to social media to share their disappointment while others chastised the owners for the way the bakery abruptly closed.

“Just … hate this,” said Actress Sophia Bush, who described the closure as a loss for the community. “And just love you and your business so much.”

Dionne Phillips, a celebrity lash stylist, shared her heartbreak at the closure and the overall struggles of businesses in California.

"Nooooo! Say it isn’t so! This is devastating! LA, California better do something now before this city becomes “The lost City!” All because of greed of taxes and up-charging fees," she wrote in reply to the Instagram announcement. "I won’t be able to get this berrie cake for so many of our memories! This is soo sad for so many reasons! Ugh! Another city treasured businesses disappearing in this deteriorating city!"

Still, other bakery fans took the Sweet Lady Jane to task for blaming the closure on the Golden State.

"I have loved your cakes for years but to blame California for your over expansion and the woes that come with that is unfair. Where else in the country except NY can you charge $100 for a cake? So California and Los Angeles were good to you all these years in making your business, now it’s to blame," Susie Bauer replied to the bakery's Instagram post. "Sorry - It’s on you! So sorry for your employees and that they got no warning of this."