JaCiva's Bakery and Chocolatier

JaCiva's Bakery and Chocolatier
The shop's exterior, 2021
Map
Restaurant information
EstablishedDecember 1986 (1986-12)
Street address4733 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard
CityPortland
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97215
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45°30′44″N 122°36′48″W / 45.5121°N 122.6134°W / 45.5121; -122.6134
Websitejacivas.com

JaCiva's Bakery and Chocolatier was a bakery and chocolate shop in Portland, Oregon. The business closed permanently in 2024.

Description

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JaCiva's was a bakery and chocolate shop on Hawthorne Boulevard in southeast Portland's Sunnyside neighborhood.[1] The shop had a small private event space and a dessert house called After Dark, which specialized in chocolates, cakes, and tortes. JaCiva's offered pastries, cheesecake, coffee cake, truffles,[2] and other "interestingly shaped" chocolates.[3]

History

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Jack and Iva Elmer co-founded the bakery in December 1986. The couple's daughters operated the business after Jack suffered a stroke in 1990.[1] Iva helped coordinate the temporary installation of American flags along Hawthorne Boulevard at certain times of the year.[4]

Jack died in 2014 at the age of 75.[5][6][7] One of his surviving daughters wrote, "He was loved and will be missed greatly."[8]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the business had a take-out window and drive-through operation. Face masks were required even after Oregon's mandate ended, as of March 2022.[9][10] The business announced plans to close in 2023,[11] citing the pandemic as well as crime and vandalism as reasons.[12][13] JaCiva's closed on July 29, 2024.[14]

Reception

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JaCiva's was a runner-up in the Best Sweet Shop/Chocolatier category of Willamette Week's annual 'Best of Portland' readers' poll in 2024.[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Gunderson, Laura (October 10, 2013). "Southeast Portland's JaCiva's Bakery plans survival as founder Jack Elmer dying of cancer". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  2. ^ Johnson, Lisa (2006-09-13). Mind Your X's and Y's: Satisfying the 10 Cravings of a New Generation of Consumers. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-9384-6. Archived from the original on 2022-08-28. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
  3. ^ Crain, Liz (2014-09-02). Food Lover's Guide to Portland. Hawthorne Books. ISBN 978-0-9904370-1-7. Archived from the original on 2022-08-28. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
  4. ^ "Those who serve: The story behind how those U.S. flags go up on Hawthorne". KGW. November 14, 2018. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  5. ^ Giegerich, Andy (May 2, 2014). "JaCiva's chocolatier Jack Elmer dies". Portland Business Journal. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  6. ^ Hachmann, Cari (May 23, 2014). "Jack Elmer, famed baker and chef, dies at 75". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  7. ^ "JaCiva's chocolatier passes away". Oregon Business. May 2, 2014. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  8. ^ DeJesus, Erin (2 May 2014). "RIP". Eater Portland. Vox Media. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  9. ^ Goldberg, Jamie (2022-03-11). "Oregon businesses weigh their own mask rules as state mandate approaches end". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-04-16. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
  10. ^ Balick, Lisa (March 15, 2022). "Some Portland businesses keep mask requirement for now". KOIN. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  11. ^ Giegerich, Andy (September 15, 2023). "5 Things to know for Friday: A classic Southeast Portland bakery will make its last cake". Portland Business Journal.
  12. ^ Cook, Katherine (September 14, 2023). "Declining clientele seals the fates of Southeast Portland mainstays Pied Cow and JaCiva's". KGW. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  13. ^ Wong, Janey (2021-01-20). "Portland's Restaurant, Bar, and Food Cart Closures". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
  14. ^ "JaCiva's Bakery & Chocolatier in Portland will close June 29". kgw.com. 2024-06-04. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  15. ^ "2024 Best of Portland Readers' Poll: Food". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
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