Beloved Bakery Closing to Make Room for Road Expansion

Grande Bakery has been a fixture in the community since 1979.

A Southern California bakery where people would line up at dawn in their pajamas for a tamale fix and sweet bread is closing Sunday to make way for a street expansion project.

Grande Bakery in Santa Ana is falling to the wrecking ball so work crews in Santa Ana can widen the heavily traveled Grand Avenue to accomodate six vehicle lanes, two bike lanes and a median.

“We’re going to miss it, we really are,” said Vick Luna, who has been coming to Grande since 1962. “I hope they relocate this place.”

The bakery is among several other businesses that will go away.

Efforts to try and relocate Grande have not been successful.

"I'm so bummed to hear that the after 34 years of business, Grande Bakery will be forced to close," said Joy L. on Yelp.

Michelle M. is emotional about the loss of her neighborhood bakery. She has been going there for 19 years, since she was 3.

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"I think a lot of people in SA and surrounding cities are going to truly miss this bakery," she wrote on Yelp. "Their sweet bread was one of a kind."

Owner Mike Gallegos expressed his disappointment with losing the building his grandfather built.

“It’s been difficult for the family,” Gallegos said. “It’s now been three generations. We were hoping to take it to four, but it doesn’t look like we’re going to make it.”

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