City Girl Donuts, which had been temporarily closed since March 6, will not reopen, according to owner Barbara Fazio.

“We had a great business,” she says.

City Girl Donuts opened with a bang last fall in Rocky River, with lines literally snaking down the block. The shop was operated by owner Fazio and pastry chef-partner Erica Coffee, and things were going great until February, when Coffee departed the business to pursue other opportunities. She was replaced by Maggie Downey, who had worked at Coquette Patisserie, BonBon Pastry & Café, and Save Room Bakery.

On March 6, Downey suffered an injury that sidelined her and, apparently, the entire operation. But the decision to not reopen the shop, reports Fazio, entails more than just a loss of kitchen talent.

“It was my dream to bring a unique product to market and it worked,” Fazio says. “I just decided to move on.”

This article appears in Apr 4-10, 2018.

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.

2 replies on “City Girl Donuts Will Not Reopen Shop in Rocky River”

  1. Damn shame. I never did get around to going there, and now it’s too late. You snooze, you lose.
    Seems to be an uptick in the number of “eateries” going bye-bye over the last few months.

    Is Cleveland over-saturated as a foodie town? Are owners biting off more than they can chew?
    (Sorry, couldn’t resist it).

    What’s the cause of all these swan songs lately? Can someone explain? Over to you, Doug.

  2. I have great admiration for what City Girl achieved. They were fortunate that just when Maggie wasnt able to work, a nearby retailer offered to buy them out. We will all miss the amazing product of course. Mission accomplished and moved on admirably.

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