LA’s Beleaguered Bakery Chain Sweet Lady Jane Hints at a Comeback

Triple Berry cake from Sweet Lady Jane.

It’s been almost two months since longtime bakery Sweet Lady Jane closed all six locations unceremoniously. On February 26, a Redditor shared a sign posted at the former Encino location hinting at a comeback “soon” and soliciting job seekers to send in resumes and cover letters to apply for open positions including “team leader” and “team associate.” The bakery posted a teaser on its Instagram on February 25 using the hashtag “Jane is back.” (The response has been lukewarm by the account’s followers thus far.)

The legendary Los Angeles bakery closed late last year following 35 years of business, announcing the news in a social media post and on the bakery’s website. “Lease obligations” and the immense cost of operations were cited as the reasons behind the closure. Founder Jane Lockhart opened the original Sweet Lady Jane on Melrose Avenue in 1988 and built a strong following for her Triple Berry Cake.

West Hollywood gets a new booze-free shop

Southern California’s non-alcoholic options show no signs of slowing down as the New Bar, Venice’s alcohol-free bottle shop that opened in 2022, opened a second location in the West Hollywood area on Saturday, February 24. Situated on a busy corridor of West Third Street, the New Bar is on the same block as Palihouse, Bobby’s Pizzeria, and Magnolia Bakery.

The 675-square-foot space includes outdoor seating and enough room for owner Brianda Gonzalez to host workshops and tastings. Gonzalez also stocked the new location with non-alcoholic spirit brands exclusive to the New Bar including Alamave, Cut Above, and Muri. The New Bar joins LA’s growing community of booze-free operators including Chinatown’s Zero Proof, Silver Lake’s Soft Spirits, and roving non-alcoholic event Bar Nuda.

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President Biden makes a pit stop at CJ’s Cafe

When President Joe Biden was in Los Angeles last week to raise funds for his upcoming reelection campaign, he stopped at CJ’s Cafe in Baldwin Hills with LA Mayor Karen Bass. TMZ reports that the 46th president ordered a breakfast burrito and tipped $20.

Orange County Restaurant Week

It’s almost time for Orange County Restaurant Week, which runs from March 3 to 9. The weeklong event doesn’t require tickets or special passes, just view the list of participating restaurants here and make reservations, if needed.

Burmese dining in Los Angeles

Mama’s Night Market interviewed Joann Lam, the owner of Yoma Myanmar who took over the Burmese restaurant in 2005. Lam shares the story behind her decision to keep the Monterey Park Burmese spot open.

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