Bittersweet ending

Jedidiah Smith takes doughnuts from the racks to replenish the display case. Del Norte Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

A doughnut containing blood, sweat and tears might not sound all that appetizing. But at Continental Bakery, these seem to have been the secret ingredients. While it’s only open to customers during eight-hour shifts, Continental is a working business more like 20 hours of the day, run by a married couple and a very small, dedicated staff. 

Brandon hasn’t slept through the night in nearly a decade, while April keeps the customers satisfied and the books by day.

But it’s not the long hours and hard work that led the Martins to close Continental, it’s the other, more conventional ingredients: flour, milk, sugar, eggs and butter. 

April estimated that Continental’s food costs have tripled in recent years, making the business unprofitable.

Weirdly enough, droughts in Russia, freezes in Mexico, floods in Australia and oil price indexes in the Middle East can all affect the cost of flour and sugar for the little bakery at L Street and U.S. Highway 101 South in Crescent City, according to Brad Parker a spokesman for one distribution company supplying Continental, Food Services of America.

“We run into a lot of our customers who feel they will lose business if they do increase their prices, but if they don’t then what they are running into is a slow slide into bankruptcy.” Parker said.

“I’m not Starbucks. I can’t charge $2.25 for an old-fashioned doughnut,” April said this week as a steady stream of customers filed in during the morning rush. 

Owners Brandon and April Martin in front of a wall of family photos. Del Norte Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

“It’s hard because these guys are like  my family. Not seeing everybody every day is going to be hard,” employee Mary Gehr said to regular customer Tiffany Williams.

“I’m so sad. That’s why I’m getting a pesto roll,” Williams replied.

“That’s why I’m getting four,” Jennifer Benn chimed in from the back of the line. 

After 30 years of local operation, there’s no telling how many people have made the bakery a part of their morning routine; how many sleepy-eyed kids have snapped to at the promise of a custard filled maple bar; how many seemingly trivial conversations across the counter have turned into lasting connections.

“The best part about owning the bakery is getting to know the community,” April said.

A self-described homebody, she’s met countless people through work. She regularly sells treats at the Farmer’s Market, (something she plans to keep up), and has donated plenty of delectables to charitable causes over the years.

Meanwhile, very few customers ever catch sight of Brandon, though there’d be no beloved pesto rolls without him. He usually works from 6 p.m to 6 a.m., a nightly dash to whip up hundreds of goodies from scratch.

The couple has three kids, all under 10. Photos of Lola, Jude and Ruby Martin line the walls at Continental, all taken by their parents.

“The main reason we took over was to be with our kids and be with each other all the time. I think the biggest reward is just being able to work with April, together,” Brandon said.

He started behind the counter 17 years ago, then he and April bought Continental in 2004 from Andre and Debbie Kompier. Now he handles the baking and she handles the business. The building is owned by Dottie Lindville.

“Probably the only reason we’ve been able to stay in business this long is because of our landlady. She’s helped us out so much. We are just heartbroken about it. It’s not like we are doing it just because we don’t want to do it anymore. We’ve put our whole lives into it,” April said.

Shuttering the bakery is hard, but the couple is still looking forward to a break.

“I’ve missed one day of work in seven years and that was in May of this year, and I’ve only missed three days of work in 17 years. I think I’m just probably going to sleep for a while. And we are going to focus on getting the bakery space ready for a new business,” Brandon said.

April could also use some time off, but she worried about the employees losing their jobs. She and Brandon will be unemployed starting Saturday too.

Brandon’s handiwork in the kitchen will also be sorely missed: “I don’t know where I’m going to get a doughnut as good as ours,” she said.

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