Bakeries, restaurants in Sonoma County eager for temps to fall

Sonoma County's recent heat wave has many local restaurateurs sweating. With temperatures soaring past 110 degrees throughout the week, outdoor patios — even those with shade — were sweltering ovens that kept many patrons at home.

“This week is pretty unbearable,” said Gray Rollin, chef and owner of Belly Left Coast Kitchen in Santa Rosa.

“This heat wave has 100% affected our business, and I believe all restaurant sales are down. Restaurants that are trying to utilize their outdoor seating area are losing to the heat wave that we are having.”

Nearby, Beer Baron also saw a dip in traffic, according to co-owner Sonu Chandi of Chandi Hospitality Group. Chandi's family also operates several Mountain Mike's Pizza franchises in the North Bay.

“Extreme weather has really kept the week quiet. Many of our facilities are built to utilize the beautiful weather of Sonoma County and have been empty due to extreme heat into the late hours as well,” he said.

As the heat continues, some businesses have temporarily closed their doors.

Tracy Mattson of COOKIE … take a bite! in Larkfield decided to close her bakery on Monday as heat advisories warned of dangerously high temperatures.

“With the Labor Day holiday and the intense heat advisory falling on the same day, we decided to just call it and close. I couldn't imagine anyone being out, so I figured I might as well let my staff enjoy the day at the river,” she said.

In Sonoma, the Sunflower Caffe announced on social media it would be closed Monday afternoon through Friday of this week.

“It's too hot, and ain't nobody got time for that. The staff wants to go swimming. Also doing our part to conserve energy during that time,” said the cafe's Instagram page.

Others, like Red Bird Bakery co-owner and pastry chef Linda Cermak, took the heat in stride.

“I've never known any other way to do this loving work but to push on through it,” she said. Red Bird has bakeries in Cotati, Santa Rosa and Sebastopol.

“In my younger years in kitchens, we would wrap iced towels around our necks and turn up the radio and rock on through it.”

One of the hottest spots for cooking on blistering days is inside a food truck, where kitchen temperatures can soar well over 100 degrees inside, even on cool days.

At Henhouse Brewing, Omar and Ivan Galvan of Galvan's Eatery worked inside their food trailer for more than five hours on Monday, then headed to two more breweries to do the same on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We've got the A/C running on full blast and the fridge stocked with water, but it's hotter than our tacos out here,” he said.

Restaurateurs hope the temperature drop next week will bring back diners but worry about the long-term effects of climate change. Rollin's downtown restaurant — like many — relies on the temperate climate of Sonoma County to bring diners to their patios throughout the year.

“If people still do not believe that there is such thing as global warming, then go outside and please tell me that this is normal. These are record heat levels,” Rollin said.