Jamie Todd will miss her sweet Wednesday tradition of taking her youngest grandson to May’s Parlor at the Oceanfront.
They would stop by after dropping his brother off at the nearby Galilee preschool and order their favorites — quiche or “to die for” cruffins. Often, they left with lunch items, and their seasonal favorite was the strawberry croissant.
The bakery, located inside a charming beach cottage, is known for its artisan selection of pastry, pies, quiches and sandwiches. The bake shop posted on social media that Sept. 21 would be its last day. An outpouring of customers posted memories and appreciation for the bakery. The Norfolk location in Ghent will remain open.
Todd, like many of May’s Parlor’s customers, is sad to see the bakery close.
“We will miss the tradition and the lovely dichotomy of the local-tourist community that May’s offered,” Todd said. “Not to mention the yummy food and spirit of community!”
Racheal Browning opened May’s Parlor in 2017. She received her pastry arts degree from the Culinary Institute of America in New York and worked for several NYC bakeries, The Greenbrier and The Regency Hotel before finding the tiny 1940s house at the Oceanfront that she turned into May’s Parlor.
“I always wanted to bring my love of baking home,” the Chesapeake native said.
Browning worked out of two ovens and a 400-square-foot kitchen for her first three years.
“Word got out during COVID times that we were still cranking out artisan baked goods, and it became a pandemic staple,” Browning said. “I felt it was time to expand to a 3,000-square-foot commercial bake shop.”
Shortly after, she added a Norfolk location at 340 W. 22nd St. too.
Browning said the everchanging cruffin, made with laminated croissant dough, was their most viral baked good. She said other fan favorites were the lemon dill chicken salad, breakfast sandwiches on house-made butter brioche buns and the croissant filled with fresh cream and sliced strawberries.
People speculate most businesses close because they’re failing financially, Browning said, but “sometimes, that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“People forget local small businesses are operated by people just like them,” she said. “People have young children, elderly parents and their own hardships and dreams.”
Browning said she was young, spry and 25 when she opened May’s Parlor. She could easily work 18-hour days in the hot kitchen. Now, she has a toddler and is pregnant with her second child. She has decided to focus on her family.
“I’m always balancing what’s most important to to me,” Browning said. “I’m happy with how our story is ending, and it was an incredible eight years.”
May’s Parlor will honor all their wedding and catering orders throughout the remainder of 2024-2025 through their commercial bake shop. Browning hopes to offer some baking classes and join some farmers markets with a smaller volume of goods.
“I’d love to still share a bit of May’s with the community for as long as I can,” she said.
Lee Belote, jlbelote@verizon.net
