Shirokiya location will relocate in mall

Saint-Germain Bakery is closing Sunday at its original location at Ala Moana Center’s Shi­ro­kiya after 35 years and reopening in the spring at another site in the mall.

The popular Japa­nese-owned bakery that features self-serve counters filled with European pastries and hot and cold ready-made sandwiches will lose its lease with Shi­ro­kiya at year’s end, said Nori­kazu Mi­yata, Saint-Germain’s sales division manager.

"Shirokiya doesn’t want to continue the lease; they changed management," he said. "It’s going to be affecting us a lot. That store is our original store. That first store opened in 1977. We have lots of history and lots of memories with consumers, too. We’re very sad losing the space, but we have no choice."

Representatives for Shi­ro­kiya didn’t return calls for comment. The company, which operates seven stores in Hawaii, has a second location near the U.S. Postal Service on the ground level at Ala Moana.

Saint-Germain has signed a new lease with Ala Moana for ground-level space next to See’s Candies. The new location will open around late March, he said.

Eight of the bakery’s 10 employees will be immediately laid off but can reapply for a position at the new store, said Lorraine Yamada, director for Saint-Germain.

Shirokiya, one of Japan’s oldest companies, and Saint-Germain were once owned by the same corporate entity, Tokyu Group, which sold both companies in the past decade, Mi­yata said.

Saint-Germain is currently owned by cigarette manufacturer Japan Tobacco Inc.