Legendary Highway 1 Pitstop Big Sur Bakery Was Destroyed in a Fire
Big Sur Bakery’s storefront, bakery, and restaurant were destroyed in a fire.
Big Sur Bakery is gone after decades keeping tourists fed on almond croissants and take-home jars of jam. Around 3:50 p.m. on Friday, May 3, firefighters responded to a structure fire at the bakery on Highway 1 but were unable to keep the blaze from burning the business to the ground. News station KSBW 8 reports that there were no injuries, and the Chronicle confirms the cause of the fire is still unknown.
In an Instagram post, bakery owner Blaise Godbe Lipman wrote that he plans on “rebuilding and continuing our Big Sur legacy” at his family’s Loma Vista property. The estate has a 115-year-old history, according to Lipman, though the bakery only opened in the early aughts. Now comprised of a gas station, market, restaurant, and bakery, Big Sur Bakery has been a staple of the area for years; its loss is a major blow to community members and travelers alike. “Although we are no stranger to fire, this one hits hard,” Lipman wrote.
SF could get an “entertainment zone”
The City by the Bay’s Civic Center might get a throwback to its Barbary Coast days. On May 3, the City of San Francisco issued a press release announcing new legislation aimed at creating the city’s first “entertainment zone” downtown. The zone would allow for the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages outdoors during events at restaurants including Schroeder’s, Harrington’s, and Royal Exchange — at least, to start. The idea is to create spaces like those in New Orleans, a comparison Senator Scott Wiener, who helped create the legislation, has invoked in the past. State Bill 76 is the groundwork for San Francisco’s Entertainment Zone Act, making San Francisco the only city in California to trial the initiative. The legislation is up for Board of Supervisors consideration on Tuesday, May 7.
Santa Cruz wharf restaurant to be demolished
Another timeless coastal restaurant is on the way out. The Dolphin Restaurant on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf will be demolished this fall, per the Lookout, after more than 60 years at the end of the pier. The announcement comes after a storm surge struck Santa Cruz late last year. The building housing the restaurant is owned by the city and, after hoping the business could be saved, audits found the damage to the structure was too great.
Bernal bakery gets Netflix love
Fans of top-tier baking in San Francisco are well aware that Black Jet Baking Company’s Pop-Tarts are to die for. But thanks to Netflix’s new movie Unfrosted, a whole lot more fans have heard the good word. The streaming service partnered with the bakery, includinon KRON 4’s Live! In The Bay and a Pop-Tart giveaway via Instagram, all to promote Jerry Seinfeld’s riff on Cold War-era breakfast marketing hijinks.