Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Sarah & Desmond’s Closed

I received a tip from HowChow that Sarah & Desmonds Bakery & Café in Ellicott City had closed so this morning I dropped by to check it out. I found the restaurant locked up with a District Court notice taped to the door. From appearances I’d have to say that they’re toast.

It’s a shame. This is a great little spot for a café and I had high hopes for them. On three separate occasions this fall Mama Wordbones and I tried to have breakfast there but left without purchasing anything because the service was so bad. We hadn't been back. I wonder if others had similar experiences and if that may have contributed to their downfall.

9 comments:

Ken Oh said...

Yeah, shame but not surprising. The one time my girlfriend and I decided to give it a try, they gave us someone else's food. My girlfriend's plate was the same and mine was just a little off (when my grilled cheese sandwich with mushrooms came with egg in it, I didn't question it). the poor people who's food we got didn't have anything to eat by the time we were done and gone.

Bob O said...

Never visited, but sounds ill-managed.

Anyone notice a trend in closings in downtown EC...?

Anonymous said...

I liked visiting S&D in their old location. I visited their newer location twice. The last time I stopped in, the person manning the counter was nowhere to be seen. I waited several minutes and then left.

Anonymous said...

90% of all restaurant closings can be attributed to poor service and lackadaisical management. But not one of them would ever admit it. Therein lies the problem. Food service attracts the highest number of start-ups and the highest number of failures, mostly because the wide-eyed foodie dreamers have no clue how hard it is to manage a restaurant operation.

Anonymous said...

The food was really good, but you had to wait a very long time for it. We stopped going because of the slow service.

Anonymous said...

This is terrible! My son has multiple dairy allergies and S&D's was one of the few places where you could buy a terrific vegan birthday cake. Previous comments about the service are noted. Getting someone on the phone to place an order wasn't easy but the cakes were delicious.

Stephanie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Stephanie said...

S&D's was very slow and unaccommodating. I once tried to order a dozen vegan cupcakes 45 (not the required 48) hours in advance, and they said no. I have a gift certificate for S&D's that I guess I'll stick in the recycling bin! :O(

So long, blueberry oat bars!

Unknown said...

This is a shame! When Sarah and Desmond opened their old store on main street years ago, it was fantastic! I loved going there. When they moved, the new place left a lot to be desired. No real room for customers to sit, cramped spaces for dining. I never encountered poor service there, but was turned off by the large kitchen area and no seating area.