One of the Short North’s favorite bread providers is once again open for retail. The Eleni-Christina Bakery has been providing breads to area restaurants since 1994 and has recently expanded offerings to include bread-driven pastries, coffee, artisanal sandwiches, and of course, bread.
Kent Rigsby feels this change for the bakery is right in line with the changing needs of the neighborhood.
“There is so much more activity and people in the area,” he says. “We were selling the bread inside of Tasi and there was a bit of a conflict with people standing in line to eat in the restaurant and those who wanted to just buy bread.” That will be relieved with the Eleni-Christina Bakery having its own retail hours.
He and his wife Tasi first opened the bakery in 1994. As they thought about names for the bakery, Eleni-Christina, the name of their infant daughter, came to mind. The pair of angels that adorn the bakery’s signs represent her name.
When the bakery opened, it was a retail location with both breads and pastries being offered. Lonnie Ball was the pastry chef and created desserts for the bakery, as well as Rigsby’s Kitchen. Ball eventually moved to providing desserts for Rigsby’s different restaurants.
That change, as well as the tremendous growth of the bakery’s wholesale bread business, changed the focus of the Eleni-Christina Bakery to solely wholesale bread offerings. (And Ball has since moved on to open his own pastry café, HazEl Artisan in North Canton, Ohio).
Not much was changed to get the space ready for customers.
“We bought some countertops to separate the production part,” says Rigsby. The space was decluttered and painted with very lively and spring-like colors.
Rigsby likens the new vision for the Eleni-Christina Bakery to a permanent food truck.
“It’s small. Very specific. There won’t be many seats, maybe a couple of bar stools. You can just walk-up and get a croissant and stand there and eat it, or carry it away as well. It’s like places I’ve seen in Italy where you can just drop in and get a snack or a lovely pastry.”
Patrons will be able to purchase Thunderkiss coffee made in individual french presses. It will also be bagged and available for purchase. Crimson Cup coffee will be available as well.
The Grand Opening for the Eleni-Christina Bakery is this Saturday, July 28 from 9am to 3pm. Regular hours will be Wednesday through Saturday, 9am to 3pm.
Eleni-Christina Bakery is located at 641 N. High St. Suite 107, Columbus, Ohio 43215. Visit them on Facebook.