Bliss Bakery's location on Carrington Road on the Westside will not reopen due to the pandemic.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Bliss Bakery
February 18, 2021 - 11:31 AM
For the last five years, Bliss Bakery has operated one of its three locations on Carrington Road on the Westside. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the bakery’s Westbank location will not be reopening its doors.
Owner Darci Yeo said at that location a significant amount of seating was lost due to the public health orders and with the orders ongoing for an indefinite period of time, “we’re just not in a position to continue running it.”
After the initial closure of bakeries due to the pandemic, Bliss decided to streamline its staff and has changed certain aspects of the business model.
READ MORE: Bliss Bakery re-opens in Okanagan with physical distancing measures
The Westbank location also doesn’t have as much walk-through traffic as the other locations, and relies on the customer’s ability to sit down.
“Prior to COVID, while that store didn’t perform at the same level as other stores did, was a solid performing coffee shop. It did well… and we certainly weren’t looking at closing it, but with COVID things have changed,” Yeo said. “Running that store and trying to make it a top performer takes an incredible amount of energy. We want to take that energy and apply it to other places that are giving the return on investment.”
The location has drive-thru capabilities, but Yeo said that’s not a part of the business model as a community-focused bakery.
“We just feel at this point with the current climate it’s not a fit for us anymore,” she said.
The two other Bliss locations, in downtown Kelowna on Ellis Street and in Peachland on Beach Avenue, are doing well, she said, and aren’t facing closures.
Bliss has started offering frozen meals, which have been popular, she said.
“We’re seeing a lot of engagement from the public, and we’ll continue working in that direction, and I think that’s one of the pivots that you’re forced to do as a business in this environment, you have to get creative,” she said.
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