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Popular Bakery Chain Prolific Oven Set To Close At End Of August

SANTA CLARA (KPIX 5) -- For fans of the Prolific Oven's chocolate cakes and other decadent desserts, the news was bittersweet: the beloved bakery chain was closing its doors.

Owners are saying the Bay Area's booming economy had created a labor shortage that made increasingly difficult to find workers.

"It is really heartbreaking for us. I think we all thought the Prolific Oven would go on for many more generations; that my siblings and I would take it over and one day pass it on to our kids," said Regina Chan, the daughter of the bakery's owners.

The Prolific Oven has been in business for nearly 40 years. The Chan family bought out the original owners 23 years ago, expanding the business from the original location in Palo Alto to as many as five shops at one point.

But in recent years, the family says competition from the tech industry has made it tough to find bakers, cooks and cashiers.

"Being in Silicon Valley, being in the Bay Area, people can get jobs with very minimal experience at these tech companies that are paying much, much more," Chan said.

In July, California's unemployment rate hovered just about four percent, continuing a decade-long period of economic growth.

But the low unemployment rate has put strain on employers who've struggled to attract and retain qualified job candidates.

"I'm just super sad. The cakes are amazing! So is the staff. I'm just kind of devastated," said Prolific Oven employee Adriana Robles, who has worked for the company for the past decade.

The Prolific Oven is closing its Santa Clara location on August 24. The Palo Alto and Sunnyvale locations will close at the end of August.

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