Sales at San Francisco’s only Chinese-Irish Sweet Passion Bakery soar over St. Patrick’s Day weekend

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — This St. Patrick’s Day weekend, a local business is thriving now that pandemic restrictions have been lifted in San Francisco.

Sweet Passion Bakery, the only Chinese-Irish bakery in town, typically sells several dozen loaves of Irish soda bread a day. But that number skyrockets to over a thousand on St. Patrick’s Day.

Owner Jenny Pei and her baker John Campbell took paid pre-orders this year and started work early and plan to continue around the clock.

She says Campbell started Thursday night at 5 p.m. and Campbell worked 5 p.m. to make her famous scones, pastries, buns and sausage rolls.

A steady stream of customers lined up early Friday asking for both Chinese and Irish items.

Henry Wong lives in another part of town but goes to Sweet Passion for his offerings.

“It’s a very unique combo! I’ve never seen another place like this and I grew up with Chinese pastries, and it’s so great to mix them with Irish too. “

Due to the extra supply, many weren’t disappointed around noon like in years past when they found there was still some stock.

VIDEO: SF’s Sweet Passion bakery serves up a taste of Ireland through traditional pastries

One woman, decked out in green, exclaimed she was “lucky of the Irish” as the bakery still had loaves of soda bread around 1:30 p.m.

Another woman, with three giant boxes of baked goods, explained why she was stocking up.

“I’m having a little party tonight, my birthday was earlier this week, also #OscarsSoIrish, there was a film that was in Irish, and this is the first time an Irish language film has been nominated.”

So whatever your reason for celebrating, Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Now Jenny and her baker just have to spend the weekend.

“I probably won’t be open on Monday and Tuesday. He’s going to sleep two days in a row!