Local Bakery Opening First Storefront In Downtown Hartford

HARTFORD, CT — Bloom Bake Shop, a catering company specializing in baked goods, is opening its first commercial shop in downtown Hartford soon — and it will offer seating, an expanded menu and more.

Sisters Alex Pilon and Monica Beaudoin started Bloom Bake Shop in September 2020 along with their father, Rich Beaudoin. Opening a bakery was "always the plan," said Monica, who graduated from Johnson & Wales University with degrees in baking and business management.

Bloom Bake Shop got its start at farmers markets, and it caters weddings, bridal showers, corporate functions and similar events. The family is currently operating out of a commercial building in Hartford, but the bakery will be its first public-facing location.

When Bloom Bake Shop opens at 80 Pratt St., it will have seating, a daily selection of baked goods, some savory options, coffee and more. And the owners plan to partner with local small businesses, offering their goods at the store.

The bakery is aiming for an early June opening, and Alex said the company's connections with its community made Hartford the obvious choice for its bakery location.

"We are already a Hartford business, and we really have been lucky to see a lot of success here over the last year and a half or so," Alex said. "We're part of a great community."

Alex, Monica and Rich shopped around for locations for awhile, but the 80 Pratt St. storefront was ideal — it was an existing restaurant space, meaning it already had a kitchen.

Additionally, the property's landlord plans to apply for a Hart Lift grant, which the sisters said will help offset costs as well.

Hart Lift is an initiative designed to fill vacant storefronts that involves landlords receiving up to $50 per square foot to cover the costs of building out retail spaces for their tenants, the Hartford Courant reported.

"(The location) just fit what we're looking for perfectly," Monica said. "The outside is really charming already."