Food prices threaten Salt Lake bakery

If you think food prices are denting your wallet, get this: They're threatening the popular Avenues Bakery in Salt Lake City, a favorite of the neighborhood and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and his family.

The South Temple bakery, a few doors down from the Governor's Mansion and frequented by city officials, politicians and neighbors alike, has notified customers it won't do business at its current location after July 20.

Owners Kathie Chadbourne and Paul Maurer were looking to move the business to another downtown location, but they say they are running into zoning issues.

The 5-year-old business is coping with skyrocketing wheat and egg prices, and it no longer can afford rent that the owners say was exorbitant to begin with — nearly $11,000 a month.

"This is the full picture of what food prices have done," Chadbourne said.

The situation has apparently shocked several customers, and some are even calling the landlord, the couple said. One of those callers will be Salt Lake economic development director Bob Farrington.

Farrington hopes to help keep the business there. He wants to bring about a resolution between the bakery and landlord, he told the Deseret News last week. If he can't, he hopes to look at zoning issues affecting the move.

"I think there's been a good popular response to their predicament," Farrington said, adding that a survey showed residents most cherish locally owned businesses, of which the bakery is "a poster child."

"Everyone's kind of working every angle to help them out," he said

The landlord did not return a message seeking comment.

The rally of support energizes the owners.

"The community is coming together on our behalf," beamed Chadbourne. "It is so beautiful, because it is about community."

The Deseret News has been tracking local food prices once a month since April. The select grocery basket includes eggs and milk, diapers, bananas, a gallon of gas, even take-out pizza and the price of pair of jeans.

Last month, food prices mostly decreased in our basket — and tiny as it may be, the trend was reflected in the Wasatch Front consumer price index put out by Wells Fargo. The overall cost of goods we've been tracking went up about 1.5 percent between May and June. This month, thanks to a clearance sale on jeans and what's looking like a perpetual Oreo cookie sale, the price of our basket of goods dropped 3.2 percent for people without a loyalty card at Smith's Marketplace, and even more — 5 percent — for those with one.