Great Harvest Bread Shop's Closing Startles South Pas Residents

Jason and Alicia Layvas were on their way to on Tuesday morning to grab some coffee and bread before starting their day.

Instead, they were greeted with the sight of upside-down chairs on the tables inside, bread still on the shelves, no one working, and a hand-written sign that thanked the city of South Pasadena "for your support for the last 2 1/2 years."

At the top of the sign was the underlined word "Closed.''

"That sucks, this place was awesome!" Jason Layvas said. "It was packed every morning ... it was part of our morning ritual."

Other residents who passed the shop's windows carried similar reactions, peering into the windows, reading the sign and then walking away slightly confused or shaking their heads. Residents at neighboring businesses also took notice of the sudden shutdown, with one at remarking, "I just got bread there the other day!"

Stuart Hannah, the owner of , the bread shop's next-door neighbor, called owners Chris and Patricia Diaz "a great addition to the community" but said Great Harvest's first few months of operation seemed to be a struggle, and it appeared that "they'd been playing catch-up ever since." Alex Stocks, a volunteer at the yoga studio, also mentioned that Great Harvest had more than its fair share of people in it during the mornings.

The reasons for Great Harvest's abrupt closure are still unclear, and Patch has contacted the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, the Great Harvest Bread Co. corporate office as well as the owners themselves for an update. The store's website is still functional, along with the phone line.

"I guess they didn't make enough dough making bread," said George Romero, sitting across the street at Buster's Coffee.

Patch will update this story with more details when they become available.