JaCiva's Bakery and Chocolatier
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| JaCiva's Bakery and Chocolatier | |
|---|---|
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_047_(cropped).jpg) The shop's exterior, 2021 | |
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | December 1986 |
| Location | 4733 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, Oregon, 97215, United States |
| Coordinates | 45°30′44″N 122°36′48″W / 45.5121°N 122.6134°W |
| Website | jacivas |
JaCiva's Bakery and Chocolatier was a bakery and chocolate shop in Portland, Oregon, United States. The business closed permanently in 2024.
JaCiva's was a bakery and chocolate shop on Hawthorne Boulevard in southeast Portland's Sunnyside neighborhood.[1] The shop had a small private event space and a dessert house called After Dark, which specialized in chocolates, cakes, and tortes. JaCiva's offered pastries, cheesecake, coffee cake, truffles,[2] and other "interestingly shaped" chocolates.[3]
History
Jack and Iva Elmer co-founded the bakery in December 1986. The couple's daughters operated the business after Jack suffered a stroke in 1990.[1] Iva helped coordinate the temporary installation of American flags along Hawthorne Boulevard at certain times of the year.[4]
Jack died in 2014 at the age of 75.[5][6][7] One of his surviving daughters wrote, "He was loved and will be missed greatly."[8]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the business had a take-out window and drive-through operation. Face masks were required even after Oregon's mandate ended, as of March 2022.[9][10] The business announced plans to close in 2023,[11] citing the pandemic as well as crime and vandalism as reasons.[12][13] JaCiva's closed on July 29, 2024.[14][15]
Reception
JaCiva's was a runner-up in the Best Sweet Shop/Chocolatier category of Willamette Week's annual 'Best of Portland' readers' poll in 2024.[16] Michael Russell included JaCiva's in The Oregonian's list of the 21 "most painful" restaurant and bar closures of 2024.[17]
