SEQUIM — Bell Street Bakery, which over the past three years has grown in popularity as a quaint lunchtime gathering place and a local source of fresh retail and wholesale baked goods, has closed its doors.

Bakery owner Andre Barritelle said the reason for the closing was twofold: hard economic times and a newly formed partnership with the owners of The Garden Bistro that did not work out.

Twelve employees at the bakery and restaurant at 173 W. Bell St. lost their jobs, ending production of bread and other baked goods that were sold at the shop and to grocers and restaurants on the North Olympic Peninsula.

Barritelle declined to elaborate as to exactly what happened but said it has been a long struggle with different sets of managers over the years to keep the business afloat.

“It just wasn’t making sense anymore. It’s done for right now, that’s for sure,” he said.

“It’s been an interesting ordeal over the past three years.

“We’re not sure what we’re going to do with it at this point.”

Closing ‘permanent’

The closing, which was announced on Facebook by Andre’s wife, Susan Barritelle, took place Dec. 31 and was “permanent.”

“My husband put his blood, sweat and tears into the bakery for over three years, and had a passion for this business for the sake of the community and his employees,” Susan Barritelle posted on the bakery’s Facebook page.

“He tried everything, including recognizing that it needed a different manager other than him. He wanted to see it succeed.”

Andre Barritelle said he planned to step away from the business, take some time to think about it and decide what to do later.

The closure came just three months after he announced he was merging the business with David Johnson and Henry “John” Bridger, partners in The Garden Bistro, a seasonal sidewalk cafe at 104 E. Washington St. near North Sequim Avenue.

At the time it was shuttered, Bell Street Bakery was being remodeled for a kitchen to accommodate the new Garden Bistro partners.

In an “open letter” posted on The Garden Bistro’s Facebook page, Bridger said he and Johnson are uncertain if The Garden Bistro will reopen this spring.

The bistro opened in February 2011 after another sandwich shop opened and closed at the East Washington/North Sequim Avenue location.

“We are working on raising operating funds so we can purchase inventory and have money to operate for the first couple of months,” Bridger wrote.

Hopes to hire employees

Bridger said he and Johnson hoped to hire at least some of the Bell Street Bakery employees who lost their jobs.

“As David and I rebuild what we had going this past year, we will be looking forward to reconnecting with some of the employees of the bakery and hopefully be able to offer them employment so they are not impacted greatly by this turn of events,” Bridger wrote.

After they were contacted last week, Bridger confirmed they had “severed their relationship” with Bell Street Bakery on Dec. 13.

He said he and Bridger found out Monday and were surprised at the sudden closure of the bakery.

“We found out about the closure the same way everyone else did, by word of mouth,” Bridger said.

“We were stunned by the sudden closure.”

He said he and Bridger were planning on a reopening of The Garden Bistro “in the very near future.”

“Our focus at this time is to get open as quickly as possible and to serve the community in the style we have been known for,” Johnson said.

“From the beginning, our focus has been community and, that is what we are going back to.

“We plan to go back to the basics of what we do, and that is to provide quality food and customer service at an affordable price.”

He said an announcement about opening will be posted on their site, www.garden-bistro.com, and on Facebook.

________

Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.