Photo: Jay Willett/WBZ NewsRadio
BROOKLINE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — After 35 years, a beloved Brookline bakery in Coolidge Corner is closing.
The owners of Party Favors on Beacon Street said their last day of business is fast approaching, much to the dismay of the bakery's customers, especially the ones who have been shopping there for decades.
Owners John and Mary Lynn Pergantis said business has never recovered since the Covid 19 pandemic, especially their walk-in business.
They are also dealing with an expiring lease and rising rent. "It's like a big dysfunctional family, Party Favors, you know?" John said. "Because we love each other, and we care about each other. I'll miss the customers coming in. I'll miss saying 'hi' to people I've known for 30 years."
A longtime customer said she has been coming into the bakery for 22 years to buy her son's birthday cake. "This is one of our favorite bakeries," she said. "So, when he realized it was shutting down, he was so upset. He's like, 'You need to go get my birthday cake right now!'"
John said he and his wife are amazed at how generous people have been.
A Go Fund Me page has been set up in the hopes that the business doesn't close.
But John said even if Party Favors could stay open, it would have to be at a downsized location.
Party Favors last day is scheduled for July 15.
John and Mary posted a message on the Party Favors website thanking their customers for 35 years of business.
The message closes with: 'While our doors may be closing, the memories we've shared with this community will remain with us forever.'
WBZ NewsRadio's Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.