This popular SLO County bakery is barely holding on. Here’s what it needs to survive
It would be heartbreaking to have a booming business, doing your dream job, and have to consider cutting back or even closing up shop because you can’t find enough employees.
Unfortunately, that’s what may happen to Jeniece Grimshaw, founder/owner/baker of the petite Bijou Bakery on the grounds of the historic Cass House in Cayucos.
The classically trained baker (Cordon Bleu) spent a couple of years each as the pastry chef at the Cliffs Hotel in Shell Beach and subsequently as the bakery director for Cass House Cayucos Bakery.
Then the pandemic hit, and everything shut down.
Going out on her own, persevering through setbacks
Despite that, when offered the opportunity to convert that bakery into her own business, Grimshaw leapt at the chance, opening Bijou about a month later on June 27, 2020.
She had one employee then, and was open only on Sundays and Mondays.
It was a time when the first COVID-19 wave was beginning to wane, coastal tourism was booming, and visitors and residents alike found and adopted the little eatery as their own.
Gradually, as Grimshaw added staff, she opened up on more days of the week.
Despite recurring surges of the deadly virus worldwide, with the business ebbs and flows it caused, the bakery was doing well.
Grimshaw and her staff, which ultimately included five other people, created their daily specialties from scratch.
Their product mix ranges from croissants, popovers, cinnamon-laced morning rolls, muffins and weekend canelé pastries to various brunch items (like Pain Bijou, a new popover-based savory bread pudding) that people could relax and enjoy on the Cass House’s covered outdoor pavilion.
Bijou also provided pastries and wedding and other cakes to the Cass House, and was expanding into specialty cakes for outside clients.
She developed partnerships with like-minded businesses in the county, such as Sasquatch Sourdough, Back Porch Bakery, Bramble Pie Company, Dark Nectar Coffee and the Avocado Shack.
It’s a loving, supportive, family-like work atmosphere, she said.
Even so, two of her employees left “for other opportunities,” Grimshaw said, and then the people she hired to replace them didn’t stay. When a third employee tested positive for COVID-19 in early January, the bakery had to close again, this time for three weeks.
Despite those whiplash setbacks, when Bijou reopened later last month, Grimshaw’s regulars gradually returned and hungry tourists continued to easily find the close-to-the-beach-and-pier location at 222 North Ocean Ave., even though the shop actually faces Cayucos Drive.
Reality check
However, it soon became painfully obvious that, if they couldn’t find more employees to help, Grimshaw and her two stalwart sidekicks, Caity Moore and Lauren Kitterman, had to be realistic about how much the three of them can make and sell.
For now, the bakery is open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until it runs out of the fresh-baked products. To place an order, call (805) 995-3669, and press 3.
Most of Bijou’s dedicated fans “have definitely caught on that if they don’t come early, they might not get what they came for, as we run out of most everything daily,” Grimshaw said in a Feb. 18 email reply. “On the weekends, we often have a line down the block, sometimes for two hours straight from 9 a.m. (to) 11 a.m.”
Even so, the long hours are taking a toll, and the 35-year-old business owner worries about the future. She’d love to hire at least one more baker, a barista for the hot drinks and breakfast mimosas that are coming soon, and maybe even some gardening assistance.
“I’m willing to train them, so applicants don’t need a lot of background. I’m paying more than the going wage,” initially based on experience, she said. “They’ll get paid time off after three months. The tips are very good, and I pay the taxes on the tips. I cross-train and like to promote from within. We laugh a lot and support each other. I also understand the importance of a work/life balance.”
How baker ended up in Cayucos
Grimshaw originally moved to Cayucos to be close to two friends she’s cherished since second grade. “I really fell in love with the ambiance, the history, the vibe.”
So, when she went to brunch at Cass House with another friend, on a whim, Grimshaw “asked the server if they might need a pastry chef.”
It happened to be their pastry chef’s last day on the job..
Grimshaw took over in March 2018; hard work and fate took over from there.
She wants the community to know how deeply grateful she is for their business, patience and support, “while we strive to provide a quality experience for them. I empathize with all businesses in a similar position, and I encourage our patrons to continue extending kindness and patience to the workers in our industry.”
The entrepreneur said she passionately wants to stay and make her bakery an even bigger success. Grimshaw added that she and her colleagues have all kinds of plans for products and services they can add … if they can find the right people to help keep the shop thriving and open.
For details about the bakery, go to www.bakerybijou.com or www.facebook.com/bijou.bakery. To apply, the sooner the better, email inquiries to jeniece@bakerybijou.com.
This story was originally published February 21, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
