Golden Harvest Bakery & Cafe, a local staple for many, announced that they are closing indefinitely due to a violation of child labor laws.
A Facebook post shared by the owners of the business on Sept. 17 details: “There’s no easy or good way to say this. It’s with heavy hearts that we let you all know that this is our last week of being open at Golden Harvest… the Department of Labor came out today because someone reported that we have our children working.” The post garnered over 1,200 likes in less than a day and received over 600 comments from customers and community members sharing their thoughts.
One customer, Julia Daykin, writes, “The children consistently demonstrated exceptional proficiency in both customer service and mathematics, surpassing the capabilities of many young adults in their twenties. Far from exploitative, this was an immersive educational environment that fostered practical skills and personal growth—laying a strong foundation for their future success.”
Other patrons of the business are curious as to why the business can’t hire adult employees to solve this problem. One commenter, Lori Mack, remarks, “I encourage you to hire adults (HS graduates) during non school hours and use older teens to work after school hours…another idea, if the children are old enough to stay home, mom can continue work.”
Golden Harvest’s owners, Joel and Emily Reed, replied to this comment, explaining, “That’s a lot easier said than done! We definitely would have done that already if it would have worked out!”
A Facebook post shared by Golden Harvest on Sept. 18 reiterates, “We simply CANNOT find committed people to work the time and hours we need them most. It’s as simple as that. We’ve interviewed a lot of people, there’s a lot of interest to work, but not the hours we need it.”
According to the Department of Labor, New York State has some of the strictest child labor laws in the country. The law states, that home-schooled children cannot work during local public school’s hours. For Golden Harvest, public school hours encompass a majority of the time that the bakery is open. Current hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and 8:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
The law also declares that minors younger than 14 years old cannot be employed at any time: “Not after school, and not during vacation.” Additionally, state regulations insist those under 18 cannot assist in any occupation involving the operation of bakery machines. Some of the children working at Golden Harvest appeared to be under this legal age, leading to an anonymous report to the Department of Labor.
An online petition has been developed by Adam Wong, a 2nd-year Finance student and member of RIT’s men’s lacrosse team, to be sent to the Rochester Business Development Office in an effort to help reverse the decision. The petition encouraged community members to work together in finding feasible solutions to keep Golden Harvest open. “Whether it’s through community fundraising initiatives, government grants, or local support drives, we are confident that working hand in hand, we can ensure Golden Harvest remains a part of our lives for years to come.” As of Sept. 19, this petition has over 350 signatures.
Reporter reached out to Wong for comment. “Golden Harvest has been an essential part of the RIT community, especially for the men’s lacrosse team. It was tradition to meet for breakfast after morning practices on Saturdays and enjoy everything the establishment had to offer. It would be a shame to lose such a sweet and comforting place, where our team and many other RIT students would share positive moments over coffee and breakfast. Not only that, but they were also super supportive of the deaf community at RIT, where some employees were capable of ASL,” he recounts. “I hope the family who owns and operates Golden Harvest is able to navigate through this issue. I just hope for the best, and I hope the petition will be able to make a difference.”
The bakery’s website details the family’s journey and how they ended up in Rochester. Owners Joel and Emily Reed, as well as their five children, moved from Lancaster, Pa. to Rochester in 2017. The family had interest in being closer to the Deaf community, as Joel is deaf. Golden Harvest’s first location opened in 2019 in Scottsville, where they operated for three years before moving to their current location in Henrietta in June 2022.
Through six years of business, Golden Harvest has become a hub for the Deaf community. The bakery hosts a variety of different events, including a free Thanksgiving dinner for NTID students who can’t go home for the holiday, partnering with a deaf chef for their Easter menu and hosting religious events for ASL users monthly.
Golden Harvest prides itself on being a family-owned, ASL-friendly bakery and cafe. Their site expresses:
“Whether deaf or hearing, we want to appreciate all those who enter the doors of Golden Harvest Bakery & Cafe! We are all uniquely different! We can accommodate those using sign language, and we appreciate any who come in with varying handicaps.”
However, with their children’s efforts to assist no longer allowed, the business is unsure of its next steps. The Sept. 18 Facebook post by Golden Harvest additionally states, “Until we actually find committed help, we will not be back with our regular hours. We are NOT blaming the DOL. If we had been able to find adults to help for the hours we needed, this wouldn’t be happening.”
Golden Harvest has not yet commented directly regarding this matter.
