Hoffman’s Santa Cruz restaurant to close Monday afternoon

SANTA CRUZ >> If you have enjoyed the crepes, the scones or the cheese blintzes at Hoffman’s Downtown, you have three days to get one more taste before the doors close.

Hoffman’s, owned by the Hoffman family, announced Wednesday on its Facebook page that Monday will be the final day of operation.

The reason: They have lost their lease at 1102 Pacific Ave.

“It is with a very heavy heart that we announce that we will be closing after lunch on Monday,” they wrote. “Please come in this weekend to say Farewell. It has been our great honor and pleasure to serve you over these past 16 years.”

In 24 hours, more than 60 people voiced their dismay on Facebook.

They praised the crepes, the cheese blintzes, the scones, the cinnamon crisps, the bread, the burgers and the Hollandaise sauce on smoked salmon eggs Benedict and the live jazz.

Misty McDonald, working at the counter Friday, is among the 15 employees who will have to look for a new job.

“It’s like family here,” she said.

The building where Hoffman’s is located has been owned by Wolf-Pacific LLC, with Derek A. Wolf of Soquel as manager. Attempts to reach him by phone Friday were unsuccessful.

When the recession hit in 2008, Hoffman’s business dropped 25 percent, and the family reached out to the Food Network’s “Restaurant Impossible” for help.

Ed Hoffman, trained as a pastry chef, his wife June Hoffman, and their son Adam Hoffman all came under scrutiny by celebrity chef Robert Irvine, with Hoffman’s appearing twice on the reality TV show in 2012.

When one fan asked Ed Hoffman if he would sell his pastries online, he replied on Facebook, “We are working on another location. We will keep you posted.”

Hoffman’s is the second eatery downtown to close over lease issues in six months.

Caffe Pergolesi, owned by Karl Heiman for 14 years, closed in August, but that same month, Abbott Square brought six new restaurants and two bars downtown.

Last year also saw the closure of longtime downtown retailer Union Grove Music, with that space filled by The Starving Musician.

Beloved Pacific Avenue bookstore Logos closed this summer, and a new tenant has yet to fill its place. But nearby, shoppers got a new clothing store for women and children when Kiki Ren and Dan Zeller opened Bohemian Boutique at 1306 Pacific Ave. just before Christmas.