Check out the new tab in our navigation bar - it leads to our online store! In fact, we’ve already had a handful of online orders, but we’re experiencing technical difficulties calculating shipping costs.

Here’s what’s happening: UPS calculates cost according to the size of the box as well as the weight. If we’re sending something like cookies or brownies, which don’t have to be kept refrigerated, they can go in a small cardboard box for next to nothing. (Usually under $10 within LA county.) The online store processes that just fine.

But if you order bread, it needs to go in a cooler. Without preservatives, even wheat bread stales within a day or two. Rice bread seems to go twice as quickly. At the bakery we bake bread, cool it, slice it, and freeze it at the peak of freshness. People often ask us, “I have a long way home, this bread will thaw by the time I get there - is that a problem?”

I tell them, “Every time your bread is frozen & defrosted, you will experience some loss of quality. The first time shouldn’t be an issue - just put it right back in the freezer when you get there. (Some people take the opportunity to slice their crusty rolls or focaccia for sandwiches, and slip a piece of wax paper between the pieces before refreezing.) But you wouldn’t want to do it again and again.”

You could not freeze it at all, but then anything you haven’t eaten after a day or so is garbage.

Obviously, the bread has to stay frozen and intact during shipping. We’ve learned the hard way that the only way to ensure that it does is to freeze it thoroughly first, then securely pack it in styrofoam coolers with blue ice packs and a little dry ice. All that has to be wrapped in a matching-size outer cardboard shipping box.

It’s a good system - the food will stay frozen for up to 3 days. But the whole thing is a tad bulky. Plus the whole package (cooler, outer box, blue ice, dry ice, etc.) costs us over $10 for a box we can ship a 1/4-sheet cake in, or perhaps 2-3 dozen bagels or rolls. It would only be $1 less for a package half the size; and $1 more for something twice the size, but then shipping gets out of control. (Remember, they charge by the item’s weight and measurements.) So actual costs for shipping jump from what the online store is calculating (usually $7-$10) to $20 or more.

Anyway, we need to figure out a way to pass that cost onto you. (Nothing personal.) We could add $10+ “handling charge” onto every online transaction but that’s not fair to people ordering only cookies and brownies. We’ll probably offer the coolers as an additional item which you must order, if you get bread. Until we figure it out, we’re taking breads off the online menu. They will still be available for viewing if you want to check the ingredients, but it says “out of stock!” (We’re not, we have lots of bread, just call us so we can process your shipment the old-fashioned way.)

Decorated cakes, the only other thing I would insist travel in this way, are not yet available online. Please call the store at (310) 815-1800 to order custom cakes. Thanks!

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