Sad end to Pastry Goddess' sweet story

I strongly dislike being the bearer of bad news, but that’s exactly what I was to The Examiner newsroom on Thursday afternoon.

A local favorite for delicious pastries and baked goods, The Pastry Goddess, closed both of its locations on Saturday after 11 years of business.

Because I am still the relatively new gal in town, I had yet to experience what the business had to offer, so I made the trip up north on Saturday afternoon to The Pastry Goddess’ Briarcliff Village location in North Kansas City. It was difficult to choose just one dessert because I could tell that they had each been handmade from scratch with love.

My boyfriend and I ended up splitting a brownie, and I can honestly say it was the best, most mouth-watering brownie I have ever eaten.

On Monday afternoon, I drove past the Independence location at Hartman Heritage Center. The following message greeted me on the door: “We thank you for your support and patronage over the last 11 years.”

I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting the “goddess” chef, Kathy Huddleston, or her husband, Doug. However, I found Kathy’s story on The Goddess’ Web site heartwarming – and sad.

I know it cannot be easy to close a small business, especially one that is your dream and especially this close to the holidays. I’m reminded of the 1998 movie “You’ve Got Mail” in which Meg Ryan’s character is forced to close her homey bookstore “The Shop Around the Corner” after the big, bad chain across the street forces her out of business.

My mother owned a small Hallmark gift store from 1990 to 2000, so I’ve seen the sadness that comes with closing the doors on what was once opportunity. I wish Kathy and Doug all of the luck in the world – I know their business will be missed.

Office Depot

Area Office Depot stores in Independence, Blue Springs and Lee’s Summit are safe from the company’s plans to close 112 underperforming stores in North America during the next three months. Last week, the Boca Raton, Fla.-based company announced the closings, including Missouri locations in Belton, Wentzville, O’Fallon, and Jefferson City.

According to Office Depot’s Web site, new store openings for 2009 have been reduced to about 20, a decrease from a previous estimate of 40 stores.

Hy-Vee Gas

Hy-Vee Gas at 1523 E. 23rd St. in Independence – and its stoplight – are now open. The convenience store is open from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., though the gas pumps are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Discounts are available if shoppers present a receipt from Hy-Vee grocery stores. For grocery purchases up to $50, customers will receive 3 cents off per gallon of gas. Purchases between $50 and $99.99 will allow for 5 cents off per gallon of gas. For purchases between $100 and $199.99, customers will receive 7 cents off per gallon of gas.

Lastly, customers who spend more than $200 at Hy-Vee grocery stores will receive 10 cents off per gallon of gas. So, let’s do a little math: Gas was at 1.29 cents per gallon at the Independence location on Monday afternoon. If customers had spent $200 on groceries and they each had a 15-gallon vehicle, they would have spent 1.19 per gallon for a grand total of $17.85 each to fill their tanks. That’s what I call a happy holiday.