After 20 years serving Lake Highlands, Sweet Temptations Bakery and ST Café are closing their doors. Saturday is their last day.
Employees I spoke to said there was new management in the shopping center at Skillman and Audelia, and owners Hans and Claire Van Loenen decided not to renew the lease. “To be honest, I don’t think they’ve decided if they’ll open somewhere else or not,” they told me.
Regular neighborhood customers – those who’ve heard anyway – have been disappointed about the news. “We love Sweet Temptations, it’s so unique to LH,” said Kathy Adams after picking up a to-go order to share with daughter Hollyn, a senior at LHHS. “Hollyn’s last meal would be ST’s kids’ pasta with butter only, pecan-crusted chicken with a side of homemade ranch dressing and, of course, their apricot iced tea. What a loss to our community.”
Frequent guests of the café are invited to come in Saturday to say goodbye and have their final taste of ST Crabcakes and Lake Highlands Rock Cake, and don’t forget the apricot tea.