Black Cat Bakery & Cafe, the 2-year-old bakery and sandwich shop on Fairfax Avenue, has closed its doors permanently. Signs taped up on the windows apologized to the bakery's regulars, thanked them and cited “the current business climate” as the reason for the closing.

Black Cat opened in December 2010 in the location that previously housed Mani's Bakery. Owned by 34-year restaurant industry veteran Nile Park (Food Art Group, Comme Ca, Pizzeria Ortica), and chef Nick Coe (Loews, One Pico, Nick's in South Pasadena), the bakery and cafe served an American menu of comfort food with Southern flavors. “The Third Street area is filled with high-end food,” Park told Squid Ink when he opened, “and it's not comforting enough for us.”

No word yet on what will be going into the space.

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