Sales at San Francisco's only Chinese-Irish bakery skyrocket during St. Patrick's Day weekend
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- This St. Patty's Day weekend, a local business is thriving now that pandemic restrictions have been lifted in San Francisco.
Sweet Passion Bakery, the city's only Chinese-Irish bakery, usually sells several dozen loaves of Irish soda bread per day. But that number skyrockets to more than 1,000 on St. Patrick's Day.
Owner Jenny Pei and her baker John Campbell took paid pre-orders this year and started work early and plan to continue around the clock.
She says Campbell started Thursday night at 5 p.m. and Campbell worked 17 hours making their famous scones, pasties, breads and sausage rolls.
A steady stream of customers lined up early Friday asking for both Chinese items and Irish ones.
Henry Wong lives in another part of town but drives to Sweet Passion for its offerings.
"It is a very unique combo! I've never seen another place like it and I grew up having Chinese pastries, and it's just so awesome having it mixed in with Irish as well."
Due to the extra supply, many were not disappointed around midday like years past when they discovered there was still inventory.
VIDEO: SF's Sweet Passion Bakery serves a taste of Ireland through traditional pastries
One woman, decked out in green exclaimed that she had the "luck of the Irish" since the bakery still have loaves of soda bread left at around 1:30 p.m.
Another woman, with a three giant boxes of baked goods explained why she was stocking up.
"I'm doing a little party tonight, my birthday was earlier this week, also #OscarsSoIrish, there was one film that was in Irish, and it's the first time an Irish language film has been nominated."
So whatever your reason for celebrating, Happy St. Patty's Day!
Now Jenny and her baker just need to make it through the weekend.
"I'm probably not going to be open Monday and Tuesday. He's going to sleep for two days straight! "
