After almost 12 years as part of the downtown Tuscaloosa dining scene, Edelweiss German Coffee Shop and Bakery is closing its doors.

Owner Ester Scheef, who opened the eatery in Temerson Square with then co-owner Chris Weidmann in 2007, said she was closing up for good in order to spend more time with her four grandchildren.

“I decided to retire to have a little bit of time for them and move on to the next chapter,” she said on Monday, the business’s last day in operation.

Scheef, 60, said she waited until the local schools and universities were out for the summer, which is when business typically slows, to close the business.

She also considered selling it, but she doubted a new owner would want to take over a business that, for her, begins at about 3:30 a.m. and can last for another 12 to 14 hours.

“I’m not sure someone wants to work like this,” she said. “Sometimes, it’s really tough … when you bake everything from scratch.”

Scheef, a native German from Stuttgart, relied on recipes passed down through her family to serve up traditional German cakes, pastries, and lunches.

Scheef and Weidmann opened Edelweiss in July 2007. Both are natives of southern Germany and moved to Tuscaloosa with their husbands, who were employed at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International in Vance.

Both women took their love of baking and soon began working at Cafe European, the city’s first German bakery. But when Cafe European closed in early 2007, the two women launched Edelweiss and, within two years, the women received a Rising Star Award at the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama entrepreneur awards banquet in 2009.

According to the company's website, selections on the menu included homemade desserts, like apple and plum crumble cake, mandarin cheesecake, fruit tartlet and cream puffs.

For savory options, customers could choose daily from chicken, ham and vegetable paninis as well as bratwurst, currywurst and German hot dogs.

Edelweiss also offered specials Monday through Friday, with one of the most popular being the jaegerschnitzel, a pork casserole served with potato wedges.

And last year, TripAdvisor.com listed Edelweiss as the No. 1 coffee and tea spot in Tuscaloosa.

Edelweiss almost closed in 2009 during the national economic downturn, but Scheef told The Tuscaloosa News in April of that year that comments from customers convinced her to reopen the business following a brief closure that allowed her to return home to her native Germany.

And now, despite her family-based reasons for closing up this time, Scheef said the decision was hard.

Scheef said that she, along with some of her customers, were emotional over the decision, but she appreciates those who kept coming back.

“Thank you to everyone who supported me all these years,” Scheef said. “I’m heartbroken a little bit. Lots of tears were involved.

“It’s hard to let it go.”

Reach Jason Morton at jason.morton@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0200.