By Thomas J. Sullivan–
Coco’s Bakery Restaurant at the corner of Madison Avenue and Sunrise Boulevard closed its doors permanently on Wednesday, Aug. 28. The restaurant, a fixture in the community for 45 years, is the latest of several restaurants along Sunrise Boulevard to close.
On Thursday morning, workers were observed clearing out the interior of the restaurant. A sign taped to the front door said “We are permanently closed. We thank you for your business over the years… We will miss you.”
Former manager Chad Woodruff told the Sentinel by email that his fellow restaurant employees were informed of the pending closure on Aug. 24. In all, 28 employees were terminated during the closure, he said.
“There was an employee meeting held on Saturday. A regional manager was there to inform us of the closure,” Woodruff said. “Countless seniors will be missing their favorite places to eat (counting Marie Callender’s which also recently closed),” he said.
Coco’s is the third major chain restaurant located on what was once known as the busy “Sunrise Strip” in the 1980s to close this year. Coco’s closest competitor, Marie Callender’s, closed just last month. The Elephant Bar Restaurant at Sunrise Mall abruptly closed earlier this spring.
Coco’s is owned by Shari’s Management Corp. in Beaverton, Oregon, doing business in other markets in Northern California as Shari’s Pies. Shari’s Management Corp. acquired both the Coco’s and Carrow’s restaurant chains in 2018, according to Restaurant Business Online. A phone call to Shari’s Management Corp. for comment was not returned.
A public auction of restaurant kitchen equipment and interior furnishings began on Monday, August 19 while the restaurant was still open to the public.
“It’s a shame that after nearly 45 years, Coco’s is now gone,” Woodruff said. “There are very few places left serving homestyle cooking and great pies.”
