Sift Dessert Bar to close at the end of March
The owners of the popular Santa Rosa cupcake shop Sift Dessert Bar are hanging up their aprons later this month after announcing plans to close.
The business announced its closure on social media Friday morning, saying multiple factors led to the final decision.
Owners Andrea and Jeff Ballus could not immediately be reached for comment, but according to a social media post, the closure was being blamed on ongoing impacts from the pandemic, various storms, fires and the current economic climate.
The business launched during the 2008 recession with Andrea and Jeff opening their first gourmet cupcake shop in Cotati. They expanded to locations in Napa, Santa Rosa, Petaluma and San Francisco.
The Petaluma and Cotati locations have since closed.
Sift became widely known for its bright pink bakery designs and its brightly decorated cupcakes, macarons, cake truffles, whoopie cookies and party cakes.
The shop would have special desserts for certain holidays, such as heart-shaped, chocolate-covered strawberry tea cakes or rainbow cruffles (a cupcake mixed with a truffle) for Pride month.
The husband and wife team even secured Food Network stardom at the height of cupcake mania after they bested three other contestants on an episode of “Cupcake Wars” in 2011, winning $10,000 to put toward a cupcake truck they wanted.
Outside of wowing judges on TV shows, Sift was also the bakery of choice at many celebrity weddings such as Tamera Mowry and Adam Housley’s Napa Valley wedding in 2011 or at Derek and Hayley Hough’s Carmel wedding in 2023.
But Sift could also be found at other local businesses including Acme Burger. Co-owner Erica Heintz said Sift’s owners reached out to them last fall asking if they would be interested in selling some of their baked goods in the restaurant.
“It was kind of serendipitous because we had just started talking about finding a bakery or something local to sort of add some flair,” Heintz said. The locally owned burger restaurant started selling Sift’s cookies, eventually adding the bakery’s whoopie cookies to the spread.
Heintz said the whoopie cookies quickly became a bestseller for the restaurant, adding that she was heartbroken to hear that Sift was closing for good.
“It’s so sad to see what’s happening to small businesses, not just locally, but nationally,” Heintz said. "Local does matter ... and the importance of connecting with small businesses can't be overstated."
The Balluses also opened The Jade Room in downtown Santa Rosa back in early 2019 but the fires from 2017 meant a huge blow to the wine bar’s construction timeline. They closed the business later that summer and turned their focus back to Sift.
“To our incredible customers, we extend our heartfelt thanks for your unwavering support over the years,” the social media post said. “We hope the memories and celebrations shared with Sift will linger sweetly in your hearts.”
You can reach Staff Writer Sara Edwards at 707-521-5487 or sara.edwards@pressdemocrat. com. On Twitter @sedwards380.
