Staffing issues force temporary closure of Periwinkle's in O'Hara

An O’Hara bakery renowned for its award-winning donuts is temporarily closed.

Periwinkle’s Bakery & Cafe — a spinoff from the original, iconic 1970s Harmar bakery — shut down in late 2022. A sign posted to the door of the RIDC Park location cites a worker shortage as the problem.

“We would like to thank our customers for their patronage,” the sign reads. “Unfortunately, due to staffing issues, we are unable to provide the high level of service you deserve. We look forward to reopening sometime after the first of the year.”

The restaurant’s website lists a similar message.

Thomas Friel, chief financial officer for Kratsa Properties, did not return calls seeking comment. Kratsa owns the building and the business.

Michael Kratsas, the development consultant who oversaw the restaurant’s opening in 2021, also did not return messages.

Periwinkle’s is a fifth-generation eatery first opened by the late “Billy Kay” Kratsa in Verona more than four decades ago. He became a prolific businessman whose ventures included hotels, suburban entertainment, manufacturing and retail.

Kratsa Properties included the SpringHill Suites on the North Shore, BladeRunners in Harmar and the Fox Chapel housing plan Forest Highlands Community Association, among many others.

The Harmar bakery closed after Kratsa’s death in 2007 and according to a Tribune-Review story in 2021, the family always hoped to reopen.

The RIDC Park location opened in a high-profile site just off Route 28 in a building that formerly housed Max & Erma’s.

The restaurant was gutted and remodeled, and Periwinkle’s was expected to create 70 jobs. There were plans to have grab-and-go lunch items and, eventually, a sit-down dinner space.

Several family members staff the kitchen, perfecting the age-old recipes for Kratsa’s doughnuts and breads.

In October, Periwinkle’s won First Place Crowd Favorite at the traveling doughnut competition Donutfest. The event had 1,200 attendees and benefited the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

The bakery’s website mentions plans to reopen, but people with unused gift cards can receive a refund in the meantime. Cards should be mailed to Friel at 900 Gamma Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15238. Include your name and address for a refund. Photocopies will not be accepted.