LuAnn’s Bakery & Cafe, an Ellington staple that got its start at a farmers market, opened its newest location Tuesday in downtown Hartford, bringing the growing business to a total of five locations.
The cafe opened its doors at 190 Trumbull St., in the Brownstone Building, a large downtown office tower whose ground floor was most recently home to a Citizens Bank branch.
LuAnn’s Owner Josh Virkler said he believes office workers in the Capital City are hungry for a good lunch spot, and he’s stocking the menu accordingly: breakfast and lunch items including soups, wraps, paninis and salads, along with fresh-baked pastries, scones, muffins and cookies.
The Hartford location is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For a business that spent its first few decades operating out of founder LuAnn Hoffman’s Ellington home, the move to a renovated commercial space in Hartford represents a significant leap. Hoffman started the bakery in 1980 and ran it as a home operation until 2017, when Virkler — who had been working for the business and had grander ambitions for it — opened LuAnn’s first brick-and-mortar location at 238 Somers Road in Ellington. Hoffman retired in 2021 and sold the business to Virkler.
“They had zero living space on the main floor anymore, so it was very much time to get it out of the house,” Virkler told the Hartford Business Journal last year.
Virkler, who was born and raised in Ellington, spent time in Illinois running a tea room before returning to Connecticut with his wife and five children.
LuAnn’s now has a drive-thru location on West Road in Ellington and a production hub and dedicated gluten-free marketplace kitchen at 420 Somers Road, which opened in 2022.
Last summer, Virkler acquired 42 Main St. in Stafford Springs, the former home of Stafford Coffee Co., and opened a LuAnn’s location there.
The Trumbull Street space has been fully renovated, including new walls and a commercial kitchen. The decor aims to bridge the gap between LuAnn’s rural Connecticut roots and the urban city environment, Virkler said. The building is owned by Udolf Properties of West Hartford.
Behind the scenes at LuAnn’s Ellington hub, production begins as early as 1 a.m., with as many as 30 to 40 employees working to supply the four cafes.
In addition to its retail cafes, LuAnn’s has built a network of wholesale and retail partnerships with Connecticut businesses. Its Wecka Swiss Bread and Cinnamon Swirl Bread are carried by Big Y World Class Market stores in Ellington, Tolland, Mansfield, Manchester and Enfield.
Avon Prime Meats sells LuAnn’s fresh-baked pies, sweet rolls and cakes; Willington Pizza uses LuAnn’s gluten-free pizza crust; and the delivery service Modern Milkman carries LuAnn’s cookies, breads, muffins and scones through its subscription service.
