A Booming Bakery Scene is a Treat for Columbus
A destination for Spanish desserts is coming to the Short North, plus there are a slew of local bakery expansions to catch up on.
In 2020 and 2021, cottage bakeries started popping up everywhere in Columbus. After all, so many of us started baking more during the pandemic—while also reevaluating our corporate jobs. I was working as dining editor for Columbus Monthly at the time, and we put together a cover story declaring 2020 “The Year of the Baker.” Two of the home-based bakeries we profiled for the story—Three Bites Bakery and Mjomii—are now humming along with their own brick-and-mortar spaces.
Five years later, we’re seeing a different flavor of bakery boom. Cottage bakers continue to seek out their first standalone shops, but there’s also been a flurry of expansions from more well-established bakeries and sweet shops.
Almu Vallejo, founder of the cottage bakery LEH Bakery, is an example of a home baker embarking on her first brick-and mortar. A native of Malaga on Spain’s Costa del Sol, Vallejo plans to open a European-style cafe and bakery called Tertulia Cafe in the Short North this June.
Tertulia’s 1,300-square-foot cafe, which replaces Le Macaron at 997 N. High St., will offer baked goods and desserts by Vallejo’s LEH Bakery.
In addition to breakfast items like bacon-and-cheese scones, cinnamon rolls, overnight oatmeal and acai bowls, Vallejo plans to offer house focaccia, cakes, ice cream cakes and Spanish desserts like her signature Basque cheesecake, tarta de Santiago (an almond cake), tortas locas (puff pastries from Malaga) and others. Vallejo plans to serve Lavazza coffee and expresso drinks plus loose leaf teas.
“What we wanted to do is bring a place where people can really sit down and just enjoy a good cup of coffee,” Vallejo says. “Here in the U.S., everybody’s always in a rush. You don’t have time to meet with someone, have a coffee, have a pastry and just chill. … [Tertulia] is a place where we want everyone to feel welcome. I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what you do. Just come, be respectful and enjoy.”
Vallejo expects to have the health inspectors in next week, and she’s targeting a June opening. Initially, the cafe will be open mornings-only on weekdays; on weekends, the cafe will be open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. with brunch options.
Though Tertulia is just starting out, some longtime Columbus bakeries and cafes have expanded or are in the process of doing so.
Here’s an update:
Tulip Cafe, our go-to for Turkish baked goods, will hold a grand opening in June for its expansion at 2926 Hayden Run Plaza. The refreshed cafe will offer more seating—including adorable pink banquettes—so that you can sit down and enjoy housemade borek, simit, manti and kibbeh.
Dan the Baker, which was named a 2025 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery, has also added more breathing room to its Ridge Street bakery and retail shop. The new space at 1042 Ridge St., the former Sbarro test kitchen, sits right next door to Dan the Baker’s original Toast Bar. The larger, more open shop means you can watch the bakers in action, and it has enough room for two tables, a pastry counter, espresso bar, bread shelves, a small retail section of gourmet goods and a new case filled with homemade gelato.
Dan the Baker's expansion in Grandview (Credit: Bethia Woolf)
After more than a century in business, the iconic Columbus bakery Resch’s is adding a second location—this one at 150 N. Hamilton Road in Gahanna. The new address will offer much more production and retail space for the family-owned bakery, which is known for its traditional cakes, cookies and doughnuts.
Another oldie (but a goodie), The Original Goodie Shop in Upper Arlington’s Tremont Center recently reopened after a long-overdue makeover, including a larger production space, new baking equipment and a wider selection of desserts. The 70-year-old shop (originally named Tremont Goodie Shop) is known for its custom cakes, cookies and Flippo Donuts.
Fox in the Snow’s everything bagel pastry (Credit: Erin Edwards)
Fox in the Snow Cafe, which was founded a decade ago in Italian Village, continues to grow its family of coffee shops/bakeries. Owners Lauren Culley and Jeff Excell just announced an Uptown Westerville location at 79 S. State St—their fifth cafe overall. The new Westerville cafe is expected to open by the fall.
Finally, the vegan bakeshop Happy Little Treats is moving from a smaller storefront in the Short North to 1043 W. Third St. in Grandview. Look for it to reopen this summer.
Know of a growing bakery that we left out? Let us know in the comments.
I may be biased but the Sourdough scene here in Cbus is great right now 😁
You forgot mother in law in your tag