James Beard Award-winning restauranteur Ellen Yin and her team at High Street Hospitality's newest venture, the Bread Room in Old City, is a bakery by day and a learning center by night.
The Bread Room offers its own take on Pop-Tarts and over 20 seasonal pastries baked daily, as well as loafs of bread, sandwiches and salads. In the evenings, the space at 834 Chestnut St. transforms into a classroom.
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"We’ll offer a variety of classes throughout the year — ranging from Sourdough 101 and pizza making to viennoiserie and seasonal workshops," chef Christina McKeough said. "... We’re also launching a guest baker series, welcoming friends from across the city and country for special one-day features."
Prospective bakers will eventually be able to sign up for these classes and workshops on the bakery's OpenTable page.
The space was designed by Marguerite Rodgers Interiors and features 14-foot ceilings, large windows and seating room for 19 guests. A communal table, once owned by Philadelphia-based art collector Albert Barnes of the Barnes Foundation, will seat eight people in the center of the bakery. The walls, painted a rich green and burnt orange, combined with the refurbished wood accents give it an elevated, rustic feel.
By combining a high-quality culinary experience with learning opportunities, Yin hopes the Bread Room can stand as a third space for surrounding Center City neighborhoods.
"Bakeries are historically a gathering place for communities — whether it's grabbing a cup of coffee on your way to work, a place to randomly run into your neighbors, saying hello to the barista who remembers your order or even a place where like-minded individuals might meet — bakeries connect people," Yin said in a statement. "We're all craving a little connection these days. Our workshops and classes further this sentiment, and we're eager to share our expertise with our community."
The Bread Room is open now and will have a special event Tuesday, Oct. 20, in which the first 100 guests will receive a free tote bag. The bakery will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays-Fridays and from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.