In the final stretch of a long road construction project at its front doorstep, the La Petite French Bakery and Cafe in downtown Greeley announced its sudden closure Saturday.
Without warning came the Facebook post from owner Fahd Chana: “I wish to thank the many wonderful customers I have had the privilege of serving and getting to know, as well as those who have become friends. La Petite will become an integral part of the Greeley story. ….”
No more baguettes, pastries, beignets, and cakes, even French onion soup. The mouthwatering French treats, baked by a master Moroccan chef trained in France, are no more, leaving downtown with a huge gap.
"It is incredibly sad, and we’re all very much mourning the loss of the incredible pastries we won’t get to enjoy there,” said Bianca Fisher, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority. “The last time we spoke, all he was telling me about was the great celebration and party he was going to have (when 16th Street reopened). I’m left absolutely head-scratching.”
La Petite, 919 16th St., a must for anyone who craved Chana’s authentic pastries and breads since 2016, also closed for months during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In an interview with BizWest, Chana said the construction cost his business immensely, as customers could not find parking and the dusty environment worked as a repellent during the week. He said for 2025, his revenues sank 70%, and he finally had to shut his doors.
“My numbers don’t lie,” he said. “We lost 70% where the bakery was just going, going, going and taking a loss every month, until I decided there was no way I could keep going further. In the morning, I’d see only between like five to 10 customers at the most, except there were more on the weekends. You can’t keep a business when your expenses are greater than your revenues.”
Chana, however, is not fully out. He’s received offers from other Greeley restaurateurs to work with them. He is close to finalizing an agreement with one restaurant and plans to make an announcement soon.
He also hasn’t ruled out opening a new place after the holidays.
“I’m done with that location for sure,” he said. “It’s just a transition for me to come up with something, especially through the holidays. I would plan to stay in Greeley. The people I served for so many years, now I know their kids. La Petite is a family place.”
Chana and others in the community have argued in Facebook comments that the prolonged construction was to blame for the loss, but Fisher was quick to point out that the city and the DDA have offered multiple support strings along the way — especially for a project that 16th Street business owners had been seeking in Fisher’s 16 years at the DDA.
Chana, along with 13 other 16th Street businesses, took advantage of the DDA’s Construction Impact Grant Program, through which they could receive grants of $3,000 during the first phase of construction, which took place from November 2024 to February 2015. The street reopened for a short time, then closed again eastbound on May 22 to finish the project, which is due to be completed soon. Fisher said 18 businesses took part in the second construction support grants of $3,000 each, even those who took them the first time.
Chana, however, said the impact grants were more like Band-aids that didn’t really reflect the reality of the lost business.
“Without the customers the business will fail,” he said. “A 70% decline through the whole year, it was just disastrous. I sat down with the person who did my accounting, they told me that was the worst year ever that they saw my numbers.”
Fisher said Chana was granted $6,000 in 2025, and in late 2024, he also received a $10,000 grant through the DDA’s Retail and Restaurant Rental Assistance Program — to be meted out over 12 months — to expand his business into a vacant spot next to him. His last payment would have been this month, Fisher said.
“It’s so easy for everyone online to get enraged, but actually if you look at other places that have construction projects, the fact that we’ve been able to support them along with city, I don’t know what others could offer,” Fisher said.
She said in addition to the impact grants offered to 16th Street businesses, extra effort was made by the city and DDA entities to patronize the businesses, drive traffic to them through special signage, even marketing schemes in which they purchased up to $400 in gift cards at the 16th Street businesses to give them away during Friday Fests, and the like.
“I was there a couple of weeks ago, and (Chana) was like, ‘We’re going to have a great celebration, I’m going to put tables and chairs here and I’m redecorating.’ There was no indication that this was awful. He said it’s been so much better since westbound traffic had been open. I heard excitement from him. It’s easy for everyone online to say, ‘Shame on the city,’ but the city and the DDA have supported this business pretty significantly.
Chana said regardless of the business situation, his style is always to be cheerful and welcoming to his customers — so he wouldn’t have shown people the stress he was under.
“His product is unbelievable, bar none,” Fisher said. “You cannot find anything better, his pastries are absolutely incredible. He’s got an incredible product, but obviously something wasn’t clicking on the business side.”
The closure left many online in mourning. His post received more than 130 comments.
Said Tara Murlowski: “Chef, your master craft will be deeply missed in Greeley. Thank you for the pastries, the specialty orders, and friendly atmosphere. I have no doubt you will thrive in your future endeavors.”
Added Marlene Amat: “I would like to add what a monumental loss this is for Greeley and CO. Your croissants and pastries are what I compare others to. You brought your joy, energy and personality to this town and so many people value you. …”
