Two sweets shops have closed in this waterfront town. One hopes to reopen elsewhere

Two Steilacoom sweets shops closed last month due in part to lease complications.

Delish Bakery and Berry Dock Ice Cream Shop said goodbye on Sept. 28 and Sept. 29, respectively, their owners announced on Facebook.

DELISH BAKERY

Lisa Holmgren opened her Delish bakery business in 2020 as a retirement project, following decades in marketing with Alaska Airlines. It quickly became a popular choice, appreciated for a varied selection of brownies, cake pops, cookies and cupcakes. Holmgren also garnered a following for her cinnamon rolls and holiday pre-orders . In 2021, Seattle Met included Delish in a list of 10 bakeries to visit around Puget Sound .

The closure had been imminent since May when Holmgren first shared the news that the owner of 1603 Lafayette St. had declined to renew her lease.

Robert McGee and Jeffrey Kelley of KLM Real Estate purchased the property in April 2021, according to county records. In a phone call this week, McGee, a district manager for GFS Home Loans, said their mortgage company lost its lease on an office in Gig Harbor. That building owner wanted to double the size — and increase the rent — of its units, he said.

“Faced with the position of having to find a new place to lease, fiscally it made the most sense to go back to the building that the LLC owns,” he said.

GFS previously had its office in the bakery location, while ReMax Northwest also held an office in the neighboring unit.

“My biggest regret about the whole thing was that we had to displace the bakery,” said McGee, adding, “Delish was a great tenant.”

On Sept. 12, Holmgren posted on Facebook that Delish’s last day would be Sept. 28.

“We have gotten to know so many of you over the last four years and you have become our family,” the post read, adding that all fixtures and equipment would be sold.

One commenter described the shop and its offerings as “a town gem.” Another said they always brought out-of-town guests.

Asked if she would consider another location, Holmgren told a follower, “I’m sorry to say that we will not be moving to a new location.”

The News Tribune’s efforts to reach Holmgren were not successful.

BERRY DOCK ICE CREAM

Meanwhile, a few blocks south, near the Steilacoom ferry landing, Berry Dock Ice Cream posted its closure announcement to Facebook on Sept. 8.

“We have so much appreciation and pride for how much this shop has been able to grow being supported by this community,” the post read. “Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we have no other option moving forward.”

Jerome and Susan Stallman are listed as the owners on state business filings.

It’s unclear what led to the closure.

They thanked neighbors in Steilacoom and Anderson Island, adding that they hoped to find a new location.

The shop opened in 2019 at 1203 Rainier St., taking over a cafe space previously called Espresso by the Bay.

Berry Dock scooped Olympic Mountain Ice Cream in flavors like pistachio-cherry-chocolate chip, French apple pie and coffee-Oreo, as well as a handful of rotating fruit sorbets. The menu offered other treats from Tacoma’s The Art of Crunch and coffee, along with locally made cards and other gift-type goods.

Just this spring, they updated the sandwich menu with a goal of keeping prices near or under $10.

John Spencer and the affiliated Espresso by the Bay LLC purchased the property in 2018, county records show.

The News Tribune reached out to Spencer and the Stallmans but has not yet received a response.

Commenters on the businesses’ Facebook posts noted that Norse and Sea, a gift shop in Steilacoom , also announced that it was closing in September — at least at its current location at 206 Wilkes St., in the plaza with the post office.