Last April, the popular Main Street restaurant Brew Bakers announced its plan to open a second outpost just a few blocks down the road from its first location. Though husband and wife co-owners Eloise Tencher and Josef Aigner described the decision as spur of the moment, construction at the new café at 506 Main Street is already well under way.
“My husband and I had been playing with the idea of another Brew Bakers, but closer to home,” Tencher wrote in an email to The Argus. “We live in Glastonbury, near Hartford. Never even [considered] Middletown.”
However, a friend of theirs informed them of an open space he was leasing, and plans for a second location suddenly began falling into place.
“It was a bit of a shock for me…and that’s exactly how it all started,” Tencher wrote. “Out of nowhere.”
Just a week after hearing about the vacant space, Tencher and Aigner found themselves signing the lease and getting the permits required for construction to begin. Since then, the pair has been busy planning both the menu and the ambiance of their new location.
“The vibe is pretty much [inspired by] where I come from,” Tencher wrote. “The colors are very bright, because it’s a very dark and small space. On the walls will hang Indian weavings from Chile, Bolivia, Panama, Peru, etc.”
As for other amenities, Brew Bakers Café will have a rounded countertop replete with computer outlets as well as a coffee bar and seating area. Though many aspects of the new outpost are the same as at the original location, Tencher and Aigner will face a few added obstacles at the 506 Main Street café.
“The main difference between both locations is that we weren’t allowed to put in a grill [at the new location],” Tencher wrote. “So we will have lots of paninis, sandwiches, soups, salads, and whatever we can do without a grill.”
In addition to these menu items, Brew Bakers Café will offer bagels and pastries made at the main location, along with the same array of coffee, tea, and other drinks. At the helm of the kitchen will be Chef Chris Cortessi, who has been a part of the Brew Bakers family for five years.
As far as the future of Brew Bakers is concerned, Tencher and Aigner hope to continue providing excellent food and top-notch service to their valued customers.
“What we hope to achieve is to bring our great food to the folks who are closer to the North [E]nd,” Tencher wrote. “Some people only have half an hour for lunch, but no sooner [than] they get there, they have to rush out and return to work. So we hope to be able to provide them with our great food, service, music, and ambiance.”
The owners hope to have Brew Bakers Café open by the end of the month, though construction makes the exact date difficult to predict. In the meantime, customers can enjoy the warm atmosphere and plentiful breakfast and brunch options available at the 169 Main Street joint.