There are two new places to grab coffee, pastries and more in Sebastopol: Peet’s Coffee in downtown and Criminal Baking Company in south Sebastopol.
Peet’s Coffee comes to Sebastopol
OK, so it’s a chain, but for those Sebastopudlians from the Bay Area, who remember the original Peet’s on Rose Street in Berkeley, it’s also a window back to an exciting time.
Peet’s Coffee, which was founded by Alfred Peet in 1966, was at the forefront of the coffee revolution of America, introducing American coffee drinkers to its darker roasted Arabica coffee in blends, including French Roast, and grades appropriate for espresso drinks. It was mainstay of Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto.
After Peet sold his small chain of stores, it was briefly owned by Starbucks. Peet’s is now owned by JAB Holding, a German investment group.
Peet’s coffee is roasted in the Bay Area in Alameda, in the first LEED Gold Certified roastery in the United States.
Peet’s is open every day from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Peet’s Sebastopol is located at 231 Petaluma Ave.
Criminal Baking opens a storefront in south Sebastopol
Criminal Baking Company has turned out its selection of sweet and savory pastries and cakes in Santa Rosa for seven years, and, on Jan. 20, they opened a new storefront location near Fircrest Market in Sebastopol.
Owner Dawn Zaft became familiar with the tiny coffee spot, formerly Sparrow Coffee, when she lived in Sebastopol a few years ago, and she always liked the space.
“I had a heart connection to this particular spot, and it seemed like the right time,” she said, when asked why she decided to make the move.
They’ll do some limited baking in their new storefront, but most of the baked goods will come from their Santa Rosa location.
What’s makes Criminal Bakery so special?
“We’re a small batch bakery, and almost everything is from scratch,” Zaft said. “We do a lot of local sourcing for things like cheese and produce.”
They are also known for their amazing scones.
“Bacon Apple Cheddar scones are one of the things we started the company with,” Zaft said.
They also have a specialty that many Sebastopudlians will appreciate.
“About half of our selection is gluten free,” she said. “We do sweet and savory baked goods — no bread — and we make really good cakes that can be gluten free or vegan. We even do wedding cakes that are vegan and gluten free, but we also do regular cakes.”
Locals will be able to order and pick-up cakes from the new Sebastopol location. Zaft requests that customers give her about a week’s notice when ordering a cake.
They are located next to the laundromat at 992 Gravenstein Hwy. South, right between Fircrest Market and shopping center that houses Acre Coffee.
