Friday morning, Blue Oven Bakery held a grand opening for their new production facility in Over-the-Rhine. Located on Elm Street just steps away from their stall inside Findlay Market, the three-story building will allow them to ramp up production at a much larger scale.
It’s a move that was sorely needed for the popular bakery; if you’ve ever been to Findlay Market on a weekend, chances are you’ve seen lines out the door while people wait for hours on end to purchase their bread.
“I keep saying it’s been three years in the making, but really, it’s been more like five,” said co-owner Will Volmer. “We’ve got all of our own equipment in one place, with our own schedule, and so we’re very excited. We’re a lot closer to Findlay Market, to our retail bakery, and it’s a place for our team to be able to grow. Hopefully we’ll be able to offer more product to our customers that are always patiently waiting.”
It’s been an eventful decade for Blue Oven. After a fire burnt down their Williamsburg production facility in 2020, original owners Mark and Sara Frommeyer moved their baking work inside Findlay Kitchen, a commissary kitchen across the street from the market proper.
In 2022, seeking to expand, they announced their years-long plans to work with the city’s Historic Conservation Board on renovating the building located at 1808 Elm Street. But then the couple announced they were selling their bakery to Will Vollmer and John Jarnigo in April 2023.
Now that they’ve finally settled into their permanent home and worked out the kinks, Vollmer is relieved at how well the new space is working out.
“This is actually kind of week three in the space for us. As you can imagine, the first week was filled with bumps and bruises, but as we’ve progressed we’ve really noticed the difference with the equipment, the layout, the efficiency,” Vollmer said. “That’s helped our quality a lot, and we hope to be able to provide more product to our customers at Findlay. You know, customers show up and we might be out of pretzels. That’s our current goal: prioritizing Findlay Market.”
In time, he says, Blue Oven’s menu may expand, but right now their current focus is pleasing their current customers with their freshly-baked breads, scones, pretzels, and more.
In addition to the new bakery, the top two floors of the newly renovated building will feature three unique short-term rentals. Each space offers a thoughtfully curated experience inspired by the Blue Oven bread theme—namely, The Pretzel Penthouse, The Sourdough Suite, and The English Muffin Nook. With the aroma of freshly baked bread drifting upstairs, the accommodations provide a distinctive Blue Oven and Findlay Market experience. Reservations will be available beginning in May on platforms like AirBNB.
“Opening this new facility was a significant investment, and there was never a question of doing it anywhere else,” Jarnigo said. “We are cementing Blue Oven’s stake in downtown Cincinnati, committing to job creation, and driving tangible growth right here in the Findlay Market district.”
The new Blue Oven Bakery production facility is located at 1808 Elm Street, but the best place to buy their items is still their stall at Findlay Market. For more information, visit their website.
