FOLLOWUP: What’s next for The Original Bakery’s Fauntleroy space

| Fauntleroy | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Since the Alonzo family announced Tuesday that they will close The Original Bakery in Fauntleroy later this month after almost half a century of owning and operating it, legions of fans have voiced their sorrow. Some also wondered what will happen with the space at 9253 45th SW, which the Alonzos’ announcement said would be taken over by the owner of CHOW Foods, which operates Endolyne Joe’s next door. We reached Peter Levy by email – here’s what he told us:

Yes, we are moving into the Original Bakery space. Given the history of the space, what we do know at this point is that we will continue to serve morning pastries & espresso.

We are still working on determining conceptually what our plans are for the balance of the day & night operating hours. Depending on the permitting process and time required for construction, we are anticipating opening sometime in the late summer/early fall of this year.

We also asked if the pastries he mentioned would be baked on site, retaining the space’s use as a bakery: “We are in the very formative state in the process and I have no further information to provide at this time.” But, in response to another followup question, he did say the space “will have a different name” rather than being operated as part of Endolyne Joe’s, which has been at 9261 45th SW for almost 20 years.

P.S. Watch for a story here soon looking at the history of The Original Bakery, which plans to close after Sunday, February 26th.

DRW February 2, 2023 (12:53 pm)

Please bake some Crumpets Ala The Crumpet Shop in the market!

sw February 2, 2023 (1:08 pm)

The only acceptable answer is “We will keep making the same donuts fresh on site every morning,”

Morgan February 2, 2023 (5:27 pm)

Hear hear.
K E M February 2, 2023 (5:57 pm)

+1 to this.
Applesauce_Friday_Lover February 2, 2023 (8:51 pm)

This is the absolute most true statement. We need to petition!!!!!!!!!!!! This is *NOT* a joke everyone! HAHA!

Alex February 2, 2023 (1:17 pm)

That’s a relief! Let’s hope they also open up the seating area again for the bakery/coffee shop and don’t incorporate that space into Endolyne Joes. Peter Levy and Endolyne Joes have been good neighbors for Fauntleroy and have supported the Fauntleroy Fall Festival for many years. It is good to hear they are listening to the neighborhood.

Paul February 2, 2023 (1:37 pm)

This might be a crazy idea, but how about not reinventing the wheel here and simply preserving this beloved West Seattle institution and its history.

Nichole February 2, 2023 (1:50 pm)

BAGELS please

Sparky February 6, 2023 (8:59 am)

You are reading my mind!

Anon February 2, 2023 (4:10 pm)

Ending a community institution, taking the lease on a space so he can charge more for coffee and pastries, put friendly staff out of jobs and make more money for himself… great…. he didn’t want to buy the buisness from Bernie? Its had 4 owners since starting operations in the 1930’s. I can’t imagine Bernie wanted the buisness to end with his retirement…

bill February 2, 2023 (7:51 pm)

The nerve! And in a free country!
aa February 2, 2023 (8:20 pm)

I find Anon’s judgement and resentful attitude toward the new owners unfair and unwarranted. Unless they have actual knowledge of how this happened, they don’t deserve to be judged so harshly. Maybe the bakery owners didn’t put the business up for sale, maybe a business closed and now someone else signed a new lease. The new owners did not end a community institution. The owners of the original bakery did. And maybe it’s none of our business.
- Tim February 2, 2023 (9:11 pm)
  
  Anon is right. The owner of EJ basically did a behind the door deal with the property owners while he was looking for someone to take over the business. Endolyne joes had the chance to buy it and preserve it. It’s a real shame, I worked here years ago and have been going since I was a child. Gonna miss the applesauce donuts on fridays! ❤️❤️

Kat February 2, 2023 (5:08 pm)

Maybe they will do something similar to their side-by-side location in northwest Tacoma, where they serve a wide spectrum of dining options. Cooks Tavern and Brewers Row. https://cookstavern.com/

DH February 2, 2023 (7:18 pm)

The comments here are so odd. If it was a sustainable model the previous owners or new independent owners would have made made it work. I fully expect this to become part of EJs and consider that a fine use of this space.

YES2WS February 3, 2023 (5:45 am)

@DH.. I agree, some of the comments are a bit odd… but implying that it was not a sustainable model? The following comes directly from the article, “… after almost half a century of owning and operating it.” Sure seems sustainable to me.

Kirsten February 2, 2023 (7:19 pm)

Sad to say goodbye to the bakery that I walked to as a child. I’d get there when the apple fritters were just out of the fryer and I’d have to wait for them to cool down before they’d give me one. The waiting was awful, but the reward was nirvana and is emblazoned in my memory forever. Thank you Bernie and the Alonzo family!

JL February 3, 2023 (8:10 am)

Hard to see such a sweet and beloved place close but I’m sure the new owners will keep in mind the charm and aesthetics that needs to be exuded in this neighborhood gem establishment.

WS Res February 3, 2023 (11:51 am)

I loved this place! However, over the last 3-4 years I’d come in to get some of my favorites only to discover that they were either out of these items, no longer making them, or were closed all-together. This place ran for many years with obvious passion so Thank You for sharing your gift(s)! You will be missed. If this is more due to retirement it would be nice if someone considered some financial offering to this family for the rights to a few recipes while paying homage as a “new” bakery or storefront.

AR February 3, 2023 (2:13 pm)

Great – more mediocre food at high prices from the folks behind EJs. Original was an institution and will be sorely missed. I keep hoping that someday soon EJs will go away to create space for something better in Fauntleroy.

CW February 3, 2023 (3:44 pm)

Had class field trips to Latta’s Bakery, while attending Fauntleroy School.

JN February 4, 2023 (9:28 am)

Yes, CW!
The OG Fauntleroy family of the Lattas and the original bakery of the “Original Bakery” next to Hoff’s supermarket & butcher and, around the corner in the same building, the original Southwest Library.
I believe the maple bars were started by Latta and recall no donuts.

MARK L UFKES February 4, 2023 (7:31 am)

The best maple bars in the world! Fresh on Saturday mornings. And wonderful staff, always smiling. My Saturday West Seattle yard sale adventures will never be the same.

RayWest February 4, 2023 (12:23 pm)

Please, please, please leave it as a bakery–no pizza, burgers, teriyaki, or other Asian food, of which there is an overabundance of in West Seattle. Just good coffee and yummy baked goods!

wlcg06 February 19, 2023 (10:10 am)

I would love to see the bakery preserved, it really is a landmark for so many. Maybe add Western NY (Buffalo/Niagara) style tray pizza in the afternoon and evenings. Use those big ovens for something delicious. Google LaNova Pizza and/or Bocce Club pizza if you are curious. Bakery Nouveau makes this style pizza for lunch and seems like it would be a natural extension of what is there now. Whatever you do EJ’s, dont screw this up!

aa February 19, 2023 (6:58 pm)

I love all the unsolicited advice and threats that EJ’s “better not screw this up”! Everyone has an opinion about what they should or shouldn’t do. If you want it done your way do it yourself! EJ’s is a business, they will make a business decision based on their vision. No matter what they do, even if they got all the recipes and kept everything the same you wouldn’t be happy because what made that bakery special was the history and people who worked there. Change is hard and WS has gone through a lot of change the past few years, thinking you have a say about the business decision of what comes next in this space is a fools errand. And hanging on to those misconceptions isn’t helpful. “Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.”

Sorry, comment time is over.