Amid the fear of COVID-19 and strict lockdown, local businesses are trying to stay afloat by changing location hours and complying with government safety laws.
Local business, Erin McKenna’s Bakery on Larchmont in Los Angeles, has been able to stay open and provide endless sweet treats to those willing to leave quarantine and take a bite.
Upon walking into Erin McKenna’s Bakery on Larchmont, customers will be greeted with a white sign on their window that reads “masks required upon entry,” reinforcing the laws of COVID-19 that Governor Gavin Newson has set.
Although the world has taken a turn upside down during the time of Coronavirus, some businesses don’t have the ability to do a full stop but must push through for the sake of their business and employees.
The scent that wanders through your nostrils as you walk into this Bakery is almost as satisfying and warm as the wonderful treats. The aroma combined with their varied options of kosher treats that are all “dairy free, egg free, soy free, vegan and gluten free” according to their website, are what makes these pricy desserts worth breaking quarantine.
Erin McKenna’s Bakery opened with its first location in 2005 in New York City and later came to its only secondary location in Larchmont. On a mission to “create a bakery without harmful ingredients,” and “wear cute uniforms,” the bakery’s website firmly states.
The menu boasts treats such as soft-serve, cupcakes, cakes, donuts, loaves, cookies, crumb cakes, muffins, cinnamon rolls and brownies.
Along with the single serve treats, the bakery also sells full sized cakes for special events and beverages such as kombucha and various types of coffee.
The store’s windows are subtly decorated with a few neon signs on the outside, in addition to newly government regulated signs.
To the right you will see a posted sized neon sign of a donut and a woman’s hand picking it up. Underneath the sign there is a pink pleather couch that would accommodate three to four waiting customers pre-regulations for strict delivery and pick- up only. Opposite of the couch there is the counter where the customer pays, and behind, there is the soft serve machine, donut rack, glass containers of fresh treats and the friendly staff that wear pink aprons.
The employee wearing a bright pink apron and thick framed glasses hands over two white boxes filled with delicate options, amounting to a total of $18.50. The boxes’ residents include one pink glaze covered vanilla donut, and two cupcakes.
The donut menu “rotates daily,” but the one consumed today was vanilla and had a glaze of bright pink running over the sides. Its flavor profile can be described as an old-fashioned vanilla bite with soft texture.
Each treat was exactly the texture you would want in a bakery, consisting of a soft inside and a dense outside. The mint brownie cupcake is bright green on the top with a thick coating of frosting, adorned with three chocolate chips exactly.The second cupcake was a carrot assortment and the frosting held a crumb topping.
Businesses are currently suffering because of COVID-19 and more businesses will crumble as time goes on. Erin McKenna’s Bakery is a beacon of light amid these sad economical and trivial times.
Open to all following government regulated protocols. The Bakery is open from 8-9 weekly and 9-10 on weekends. There is surrounding street parking with meters.
Location: 236 N Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90004, (855) 462-2292
ww.erinmckennasbakery.com
Prices: BIG FUN FROSTY (BFF) VEGAN SOFT SERVE– $2.75 to $8.25, CUPCAKES & CAKES– $5.95 ($65.45/doz), DONUTS – $4.75 ($52.25/doz), COOKIES – $2.50($27.50/doz), MUFFINS $4.50 each- $49.50/dozen, MOUNDS – $3 – CINNAMON ROLLS – $7.50, brownies, loaves, and specialty cake prices are varied. The beverages and prices also depend on location.
