Sweet Laurel, the Westside bakery known for its grain-free, gluten-free and dairy-free layer cakes, has confirmed it will not reopen its Pacific Palisades flagship and has shut down its Santa Monica pickup window. For neighbors who used to swing by for slices and celebration cakes, that means leaning on online orders and grocery shelves instead. The move lands as the Palisades is still trying to claw its way back from last winter’s destructive wildfire.
What the bakery announced
As reported by Santa Monica Mirror, Sweet Laurel told Mirror Media Group it "has no plans to reopen in Pacific Palisades" and that the Santa Monica pickup spot is now closed. The business says it will keep taking orders through its website and shipping nationwide, although the current selection is slim. According to the Mirror, the company hopes to build that online menu back up over the coming months.
Operations and the online shop
Per Sweet Laurel's website, the cake shop is listed as "currently closed due to the Palisades Fire," and customers are directed to order from the online store for delivery. The site now shows a scaled-back cake lineup and wholesale partners, along with contact info for questions and special orders. For the moment, the brand’s web shop and packaged products are the main way to get its chocolate-caramel and vanilla-maple cakes.
Founders, origins and local following
According to coverage of its 2018 Palisades Village debut, the shop opened that year and quickly picked up a loyal Westside following. Co-founders Laurel Gallucci and Claire Thomas have since grown Sweet Laurel into a broader brand with cookbooks and grocery-store distribution. Gallucci’s decision to reinvent desserts after a Hashimoto’s diagnosis is central to the bakery’s story, as reported by Palisades News.
Fire, recovery and what it means for small businesses
The January Palisades fire damaged homes and scattered many of the neighborhood’s regular customers, and an investigation by the Los Angeles Times found that a year later many local businesses were still dark. Sweet Laurel organized relief efforts in the aftermath, delivering baked goods and donating replacement cookbooks through a program it called "Sweet Laurel Drops," as detailed by Santa Monica Mirror. For owners trying to restart, reopening a storefront has meant repairing damage and trying to reconnect with a customer base that, in some cases, has dispersed.
How to get Sweet Laurel cakes now
The bakery is steering customers to its online shop for nationwide shipping and a limited cake selection, while some mixes and packaged goods remain in select grocery stores. Eater LA has previously noted that the brand operated from a Santa Monica takeout window and that delivery apps carried slices. Before heading out in search of a layer cake, customers are urged to check Sweet Laurel’s online menu and retailer list to see what is actually available.
What the closure means locally
For Palisades residents, losing a nearby bakery is a relatively small blow, but it is a very visible reminder of how uneven recovery remains. The Palisades Village directory and updates still show a number of restaurants and retailers closed while repairs drag on, according to Palisades Village. Until foot traffic looks more reliable, some businesses say they will keep leaning on shipping, wholesale and grocery partnerships instead of full-scale retail.
Sweet Laurel’s retail future in the Palisades is unsettled, but for now its cakes and mixes will keep reaching customers through shipping and supermarket partners. We will keep an eye on any news of new brick-and-mortar plans or a possible return timeline.
