Salem Bakery Owner Not Sugarcoating 2020 Struggles

SALEM, MA — The challenges Andy and Jackie King faced at A&J King Artisan Bakers of Salem in 2020 started well before the onset of the coronavirus health crisis, and promise to continue well after the calendar turns to 2021.

The couple preserved through a redesign of their Central Street retail location in January, a burst pipe that flooded that space two days after the redesign was finished, then an insurance battle to cover costs of the extensive damage.

And that was before they also closed their Boston Street location for seven weeks at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet, for the past seven months, the couple has found ways to keep the coffee flowing and goodie boxes full as a sweet treat for grateful customers looking for their own bite of comfort food in the most uncomfortable of years.

"A latte and a croissant sometimes taste like the old days, I guess," Andy King told Patch, "and that's what people long for."

A&J King Artisan Bakers were among the Salem shops and restaurants customers nominated as a Patch Salem Business of the Year for the way the Kings navigated the obstacles, frustrations, move to curbside delivery and the precautions they have taken to serve their customers and keep staff safe in 2020.

"Our decisions have always been based on the health of three things: our employees, our customers and the business — in that order," King said.

The year started off hopeful, but soon grew harrowing for the owners. King said the redesign of the Central Street retail space was completed on Jan. 25. Two days later, a pipe burst and flooded out all the hard work that had gone into the remodel.

He said the building owners and their insurance company at the time did little to help, with insurance proceeding to "nickel and dime us to death" in their attempts to repair the space that would be closed until July. The Kings operated out of only the Boston Street location for the next two months before shutting those doors as well in March when the coronavirus crisis hit.

"As an essential business selling grocery items we could technically have been open throughout the entire pandemic," King said. "But we chose to close for seven weeks in order to get our own safety and sanitizing plans codified, and to let society at large get used to mask-wearing and social distancing.

"Those were pretty radical concepts back in March. But when we opened back up in May habits had formed in people's minds. This created a safer environment for our people, our customers and it allowed our business to re-open to start paying backed-up bills.

"Still working on that last one."

Both locations were open by July, but nearly everything was different for the Kings. There were capacity limits that allowed only a handful of customers in the bakeries at a time, adjustments needed for curbside pickup and they had to develop a new online ordering system.

"We basically had to start all over again — but with the difficulty level jacked way up," he said. "Combine this with a lack of continued acknowledgement and support for restaurant owners by the state and federal government — (those are) the ones who took the brunt of the closures.

"Cafes, bars, restaurant owners have pretty much felt on an island. Thank goodness for customer support. It's kept us going so far.

"But winter is coming."

King acknowledged that even on the best days the struggle is still there to make up for the closings and counter business that is down about 50 percent due to lost retail and wholesale sales.

"So, it's been a tough year to say the least," he said. "It looks like it's going to worse in terms of infections and poor weather in the upcoming months, so it will be a struggle."

Through it all, the Kings try to deliver for their loyal customers, and do it as positively as possible in the face of the unrelenting pressures of the pandemic.

"I'd just like people not to confuse an upbeat attitude with success and comfort during this time," he said. "I keep thinking of a comment on social media where we were posting about Thanksgiving ordering, and someone said: 'It's so great that you guys are thriving during this time!'

"We are so far from thriving. Every day brings its own challenges, COVID scares, (talk of) lockdowns, and the like, but all we can do is stay positive and work hard, and that's what people see in our social media."

King said he doesn't want to bring people down in discussing the stresses he knows he shares with hundreds of other small business owners on the North Shore and throughout the state. But he does want the public to understand that government loans from the spring likely ran out for most many months ago, and the lack of subsequent financial help amid shifting demands and restrictions are mounting as the pandemic that was supposed to last a few weeks to a couple of months closes in on a year.

"That's when this was supposed to be over — remember those days?" he said of the summer months following the state's original three-week closures of nonessential businesses. "Now cases are worse than ever, and epidemiologists are talking about a terrible winter.

"So where does that leave the food service business?"

It leaves neighborhood favorites like A&J King Artisan Bakers doing whatever they can to make it all work during some of the worst times small businesses have ever faced.

With their most dedicated and understanding customers being there to help them get through whatever comes next.

"Our customers have been amazing, and patient, so the feedback has been wonderful," he said. "People have developed a lot of great habits, and see that we're all trying our best to make sure people get a little normalcy in their lives in an incredibly abnormal time."

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Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.

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