Beloved Morris County Bakery Closes Permanently

DENVILLE, NJ — Mara’s Café & Bakery recently sold its final desserts at the Denville location. The longtime eatery closed permanently this month.

Mara and Glenn Magley opened the bakery's first iteration in Morristown in 1984, selling only special orders and lacking a storefront, according to northjersey.com. Their son opened Mara's in Denville in 2004. The business became a franchise, but all other locations have closed since.

The bakery was originally set to shutter in 2018 after some financial hardships. But ownership shifted to Allison Kohler, who revitalized Mara's. However, the business announced plans in July to close.

"I bought Mara's 4 years ago," Kohler wrote on the bakery's Facebook page. "I was a long time customer who was obsessed with their products (and still am) and that was the driving force behind my purchase. I couldn't imagine a world without Mara's."

Two years of COVID-19, increases costs of supplies, "significantly" less business and an employee shortage were among the obstacles Mara's faced in its final years, according to the Facebook post.

Kohler thanked Mara and Glen Magley and several employees in an Aug. 21 post. But Kohler didn't close the door on a potential comeback.

"Stay Tuned.....you never know where you might find Mara's classic products in the future," the post read.