Bay Space sandwich store shutters, mocked for insane prices

The proprietor of an artisanal Bay Space sandwich store mentioned she has been pressured to shut her doorways after critics ruthlessly mocked the price of her sandwiches, together with $22 for one thing so simple as a grilled cheese and salad.

Kendra Kolling, the proprietor of expensive cafe The Farmer’s Spouse, has formally closed each her places at Level Reyes adopted by the closure of her different cafe at Sebastopol’s The Barlow Market late final 12 months, SF Gate reported.

Kolling mentioned she made the choice to close up store because of the cooling financial system and a viral Reddit thread the place hundreds mocked her pricey sandwiches. She mentioned the viral put up then led to individuals evaluate bombing her place, bringing down her rankings on Yelp and Google.

“They had been calling me probably the most vile issues, that it was past sandwiches,” Kolling advised the outlet of the thread that went viral in early 2025. “It was so hurtful and private.”

“When everybody was feeling the financial pains, somebody’s obtained to be the goal,” she added. “Somebody needs to be the poster youngster for all the pieces costing a lot. “I didn’t make the cash that I used to be used to creating within the summertime, and it might have been loads more durable.”

Kolling mentioned her excessive costs had been based mostly on the price of the high-caliber components in her sandwiches “like house-made toasted fennel pork sausage, and hyper-local gadgets like Level Reyes Farmstead’s Toma cheese and Wild West Ferments sauerkraut,” per the report.

Whereas she admitted she might’ve reduce down on parts or used much less expensive components to make it work, she mentioned “that doesn’t get me off the bed within the morning.”

“My model and my identification grew to become brutally attacked, and it crushed my spirit,” Kolling mentioned, however admitted that she would “entertain partnering with somebody for the Spouse to journey once more. However proper now, I’m simply sort of licking my wounds and getting my energy again.”

Kolling’s spot was all the time a short lived place holder till the Tradition Store Cafe opened its personal spot. Operated by Wild West Ferments house owners Luke Regalbuto and Maggie Beth Levinger, the brand new house owners have clearly discovered the lesson of the earlier cafe and provide sandwiches at a decrease price.

“Affordability and approachability are completely a giant a part of what we’re making an attempt to do right here,” Regalbuto advised the outlet.

And their menu presents a notable drop in prices, with three of the 4 sandwiches working between $14 and $15 and the priciest merchandise on the menu costing $22 for a roasted pork stomach baguette with leek-thyme kraut.

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