After more than five years, Hamilton Bakery will close its doors at the end of the week.
The bakery's last day at 5414 Harford Road is set for Sunday, owner Ruben Hernandez confirmed. He announced the closure with a post on the bakery's blog.
"[T]his is an extremely difficult and emotional decision. So much so that I made the choice a few months ago but could only now bring myself to make the announcement," he wrote. "In the end, the prospect of breaking 90 [at golf] on a regular basis, getting in an RV and hitting the open road, and seeing my grandchildren more than once every couple of years was just too powerful."
Hernandez went on vacation earlier this month to North Carolina's Emerald Isle, where he spent an entire week with his family — something he said he hasn't done in seven years, since before he opened the bakery. Recent trips only allowed him to get away for a few days at a time, but never a full week.
"This year I just said forget everything else, I'll go on vacation," he told the Sun.
He and his wife had been thinking about closing the bakery, and that experience sealed his decision.
"We find ourselves in a bit of a unique position where we able to travel around and do some other things," he said. "It's not every day you get that kind of opportunity."
Hernandez, 49, said he plans to take on part-time work until he can fully retire. He's considering driving for a ridesharing service.
Since he announced the bakery's closure, Hernandez has already had three people contact him with interest in the space. He lives above the bakery and owns the building, and will lease the first floor to the next retail tenant.
"I don't doubt that the space will be a bakery again because the neighborhood needs one I think and the space is set up already for that," he said.
He said he appreciates customers who have supported the bakery during the past five years.
"The neighborhood there is fantastic," he said, "the whole community."