Beloved Oakland bakery A Taste of Denmark closes after 93 years: 'Sad to see them go'

ByTara Campbell KGO logo

Monday, October 24, 2022

Beloved Oakland bakery closes after more than 90 years

Heavy-hearted customers are sad to see A Taste of Denmark in Oakland close. Many waited for hours for one last visit to the beloved bakery.

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Heavy-hearted customers were waiting for hours Sunday for one last visit to a beloved bakery in Oakland.

"It's been a wonderful bakery," said Denise Araiza.

For ninety-three years, A Taste of Denmark has been serving up everything from butter cookies to carrot cakes.

"My family got cakes here my whole life. My parents wedding cake was made here. I had it recreated on their 50th anniversary and I've got all my children's cakes here," said Araiza.

"I started in a stroller with grandmother 70 years ago," said Colleen Coupe, she's been coming to the bakery her entire life. "Every holiday season we buy twin rolls for Thanksgiving. It's just part of the fabric of our family."

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"It's made with love and it's been around almost a hundred years, and it's a staple here in Oakland and it's just sad to see them go," said Anne Consono.

People were packing in, picking off pastries and pies, and saying their goodbyes.

Ramon Luna is one of the employees who took over the business more than a decade a go. He said rising rent and increasing inflation as just a couple of reasons they're closing.

"We've been hit been everything. The pandemic, the increase of ingredients of everything and it's just making it tough for us to continue," he said.

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However, for Luna, the memories are more important than the money. His mother worked at the bakery when he was a child. "I was nine years old she was working here as a clerk and that's how I learned about the business, and when I was eighteen I started working here," said Luna, who's daughter, Bianca, also works at the bakery.

"This is the kind of lineup you see on the holidays, so this is impressive," said Bianca. Her father grateful for the outpouring. "If I would have had this support earlier I wouldn't be closing my doors," said Luna.