JaCiva's Bakery and Chocolatier

JaCiva's Bakery and Chocolatier was a bakery and chocolate shop in Portland, Oregon. The business announced plans to close in 2023, and is slated to cease operations on June 29, 2024.

Description
JaCiva's was a bakery and chocolate shop on Hawthorne Boulevard in southeast Portland's Sunnyside neighborhood. The shop had a small private event space and a dessert house called After Dark, which specialized in chocolates, cakes, and tortes. JaCiva's offered pastries, cheesecake, coffee cake, truffles, and other "interestingly shaped" chocolates.

History
Jack and Iva Elmer co-founded the bakery in December 1986. The couple's daughters operated the business after Jack suffered a stroke in 1990. Iva helped coordinate the temporary installation of American flags along Hawthorne Boulevard at certain times of the year.

Jack died in 2014 at the age of 75. One of his surviving daughters wrote, "He was loved and will be missed greatly."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the business had a take-out window and drive-through operation. Face masks were required even after Oregon's mandate ended, as of March 2022. The business announced plans to close in 2023, citing the pandemic as well as crime and vandalism as reasons. JaCiva's is slated to close on July 29, 2024.