City Bakery Has Officially Closed After Nearly 30 Years

The City Bakery, iconic for its pretzel croissants and hot chocolate, has closed.

The bakery and cafe has stood near Union Square for nearly 30 years — but chef and CEO Maury Rubin said in an Instagram post last week that despite being busy, the company has been struggling. He had tried to get debt relief from a bank, but was denied.

Now, despite an outpouring of community support, the bakery has closed. Rubin declares in a new Instagram post that the bakery “will absolutely, positively return” in some form, though not as a City Bakery. He also added a call out for retailers interested in carrying City Bakery products.

City Bakery opened at 3 West 18th Street in 1990, becoming a household name for its chocolate chip cookies, hot chocolate with in-house marshmallows, pretzel croissants, and other baked goods and cafe fare. Over the years, it expanded with locations in Japan and a now-closed sister brand called Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery, which had locations in Tribeca, Soho, and the UWS.

There are over 600 comments on the closing announcement, mostly expressing condolences and grief.