Sweet Lady Jane expanded its Southern California dominance in the dessert world with the December 2010 opening of its second location in Santa Monica, joining the already popular West Hollywood store. On Dec. 3, Sweet Lady Jane held an official grand opening, giving away free coffee with purchase and free mini cupcakes to the first 100 in the store on Dec. 4 and 5, getting the word out that Sweet Lady Jane is in the neighborhood.
Sweet Lady Jane's new Santa Monica location.
Voted No. 1 Patisserie in the World by National Geographic Magazine, Sweet Lady Jane has received many accolades at its original West Hollywood location and wanted to keep growing with the new store. Celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Lopez, Mark Wahlberg, Jennifer Aniston, Melissa Ethridge and Larry King have already given the brand their stamp of approval through the years.
The outside patio area of Sweet Lady Jane.
“We are thrilled to become part of the Santa Monica community and be able to finally say, ‘ We have arrived!’ to all of our loyal patrons who have requested a retail location closer to the Westside,” says Jane Lockhart, founder of the bakeries. “At Sweet Lady Jane we break our own eggs, peel our own apples, roll our own pastry and squeeze our own lemons; and because of this we has become much more than a bakery. For over 20 years we have served Los Angeles and are proud to be family tradition holiday to holiday and now generation to generation.”
Jane Lockhart of Sweet Lady Jane
Lockhart first opened the doors of the 8360 Melrose Avenue bakery on May 5, 1988 after deciding that many store-bought desserts were “too commercial,” so she began making her own with the freshest ingredients and realizing that it didn’t have to be that way.
According to its website, “the internationally-renowned Zagat Guide calls Jane’s cakes ‘works of art,’ her pastries ‘heavenly,’ her sandwiches ‘yummy,’ and says that Sweet Lady Jane is ‘the best place in town for dessert.’”
The Santa Monica location is double the size of the Melrose area, and will have patrons enjoying custom-made cakes, as well as delicious cheesecakes, pies, tarts, cookies, brownies and cupcakes. The extensive dessert menu contains tons of choices, but two major winners are the sweet and savory Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake and the tart and fruity Triple Berry Shortcake.
In addition to the many exquisite desserts, diners in the Santa Monica area can now enjoy:
- Intricate design by Alexis Readinger of Preen fusing European Art-Nouveau with Sweet Lady Jane’s iconic color palette accentuated with: an antique arched Victorian door, vine moldings, etched floor tile and highlights of pastel yellow, grays and soft greens.
- Full-service bakery
- Famed lunch menu (complete with scrumptious soups, salads and sandwiches)
- New house-baked artisan breads baked fresh every day
- Classic French press coffee, tea and iced tea
- A window cake decorator for savory Montana Avenue sidewalk eye candy
- Outdoor Dining
- Posh “Bakery Bar” for solo diner
Sweet Lady Jane Flavored Cupcakes
The lunch sandwich options include these delectable choices: Roast Turkey Breast, Curried Chicken Salad, Albacore Tuna Salad and a special Grilled Cheese. Each sandwich is served on guests’ choice of freshly baked rosemary, walnut wheat, Swedish rye or sourdough bread. Various salad and soup styles are also available but change daily.
Red Vegan Velvet Cake
Now, a selection of Sweet Lady Jane’s classic cakes can be found at local Ralph’s grocery stores, like the Imperial Lemon Raspberry, Flourless Chocolate Decadence and Hummingbird. Also available is a special Valentine’s Day menu with themed treats: Heart Shaped Cakes, Heart Shaped Puff Pastry, Mini Heart Shaped Chocolate Decadence, Heart Shaped Cookies and Chocolate Dipped Strawberries. The bakery will reveal unique Mother’s Day options as well later this year.
The Santa Monica store is located at 1631 Montana Avenue, and can be contacted by calling 310-254-9499. For more information, visit www.sweetladyjane.com.
