Specialty’s Café & Bakery, a more than 50-unit soup, salad, cookie, and sandwich chain, is closing permanently due to the COVID-19 crisis.
On its website, the brand—located in California, Washington, and Illinois—said it’s shutting down after 33 years of business.
“Current market conditions attributed to COVID-19 and shelter-in-place policies have decimated company revenues. Our last day of operations will be Tuesday, May 19th,” the website read. “Our customer service team will be reaching out to cancel and refund any orders placed for Wednesday, May 20th and beyond. We sincerely thank you for your business and support over the years.”
According to the Pleasanton Weekly, the brand was founded in the Bay Area in 1987. The company was acquired by Mexico-based corporation FEMSA after transactions in 2016 and 2017. The company moved its headquarters to Pleasanton, a suburb of San Francisco, about six years ago. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the company’s catering business was popular in the Bay Area’s financial district, but that demand plummeted quickly once stay-at-home orders were put in place.
Specialty’s is yet another restaurant chain that has suffered to the point of permanent closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, Garden Fresh Restaurants, parent of Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes, filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy, meaning it will liquidate its assets and shutter permanently.
FoodFirst Global Restaurants, Sustainable Restaurant Holdings, and TooJay’s Deli have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which means they’re looking to restructure debt and continue operations. Despite its bankruptcy filing, TooJay’s announced Monday that it is reopening dining rooms with enhanced safety measures.