by TM Petaccia

Samantha Ward, chef/owner of Wentworth & Fenn, announced this morning on the bakery’s social media channels that she will be closing the Camp North End shop at the conclusion of the holidays.

“It hurts my heart to announce the closure of our storefront at Camp North End. My team and I have given it our all, but unfortunately, between rising costs, inconsistent foot traffic, and certain things out of our control, we can no longer stay open in this location,” the post read.

Ward launched Wentworth & Fenn as a popup trailer business in 2017, appearing at farmers markets and various special events. She opened the brick-and-mortar store at Camp North End in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic. There was also a location Uptown at The Alley at Latta Arcade, which closed after a few months.

“It’s just gotten to the point where we can’t keep pivoting the way that we have been,” Ward says. “I am just ripping the Band-Aid off before it got too far gone.”

In July, Ward made a series of social media posts lamenting the lack of foot traffic at Camp North End and how it was affecting all Camp North End businesses. “We’re dying here,” she said at the time. “Small businesses everywhere are.” There were also some construction projects on the property, which blocked easy access to the store for months at a time.

“I’ve been really upfront about Camp (North End) and our struggle with foot traffic,” she says. “The weekends were amazing, but unfortunately for our business model, busy weekends and slow weekdays just aren’t substantial, unfortunately. I also know it’s also a reflection of the economy and I understand everybody is trying to save their pennies. That comes at a cost for us, because bakeries not necessarily a necessity.”

The lack of weekday foot traffic is what hurt the business the most. “Just to break even, we needed to have a minimum of $750 in sales. There were many days we didn’t see $300,” Ward says. There have also been a slide in specialty and custom orders. “Last year, at this time, we had over 100 Thanksgiving orders. This year, we are at about 25,” she says.

She also cites rising costs as part of the closing decision. “The price of eggs has jumped again, among other things,” Ward says.

As for what’s next, Ward is still figuring that out. “I need to figure out what to do, where I’m going,” Ward says. “But people will see me around. I’ll still be in the community of chefs and food and supporting local like I’ve always have.”