UPDATE 4/3: According to job postings on Craigslist, Specialty’s Café & Bakery will be opening one of two Irvine locations in April – the other is scheduled for June. They were originally scheduled for a January 2009 opening. Hopefully its the one located near the Spectrum!

Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery, well known in the SF Bay area, Seattle and Chicago will be opening their first Southern California location by the end of January 2009 – most probably near the Irvine Spectrum.

There are actually TWO locations. One location will be in the new towers at 20•40 Pacifica near the Irvine Spectrum at Irvine Center Drive and the 405 Fwy. The other will be near the John Wayne Airport (SNA) at the Irvine Towers at Von Karman and Michelson.

Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery is typically located in an urban business district or suburban business center, and operates 5-days per week during the morning, noontime and afternoon hours. Most locations target takeout and delivery customers and feature limited seating. The focus is the food: fresh baked breads, cookies and pastries, plus handmade sandwiches, homemade soups and fresh salads.

Each location features an exhibition bakery, where fresh bread, pastries, and cookies are mixed and baked from scratch. The aroma of fresh-baked breads and Specialty’s’ legendary chocolate chip cookies creates a unique, brand-building environment. Dawn Sandnes, one of the founders, continues to personally oversee recipe development, product implementation, and food quality. Customers consistently rate food quality and flavor as the number one reason they prefer Specialty’s. They were intent on providing a healthier and more varied alternative to the generally fatty and uninspiring bakery products. Instead, unique breads (and sandwiches!), lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, and grains are the basis for most of Specialty’s products.

Specialty’s is the culmination of Craig Saxton and Dawn Sandnes with the opening of their first Specialty’s in 1988. They currently operate over 17 locations.

The Irvine location will most likely feature online ordering kiosks, wireless internet access, ample seating inside and an outdoor patio.

You can see an online menu for their stores on their website at www.specialtysdirect.com

I look forward to Specialty’s coming to Southern California. I have eaten at the location at Union & 5th in Seattle as it was near one of my transfer points on the bus system when I was still working for Sur La Table.

[NOTE: The have an online warm cookie alert so you know when they come out of the oven!]