Small Business Spotlight: Luna Bakery and Café
Hobby turned career, Bridget Thibeault Chef and Owner of Luna Bakery and Café uses her restaurant as an outlet for her creativity. Luna just opened its third location in the Greater Cleveland area and its first in Downtown Cleveland. Located in the Warehouse District on West 9th Street, they are known for high-quality food and pastries always made fresh from scratch.
The menu is wide, with indulgent pastries to vegan bowls for whatever mood you are in. “That has a been a big effort of mine, focusing on the menu making sure there is a balance of everything,” explained Bridget.
Before Luna, Bridget worked in advertising for eight years. She started going to culinary school at night and soon quit her advertising job and made food her full-time job. She started her business at home, building up her customer base by making cakes and cupcakes out of her kitchen.
Soon the opportunity presented itself to open a storefront with partners in 2011 in Cleveland Heights. The business grew more and more successful as people got a mouthful of their baked goods. Their second location opened in Moreland Hills in 2018 and soon after they opened their Midtown Production Facility. Much of their baking is done there including their croissants, cakes, and sugar cookies. This 8000 square foot facility allows efficiency and room to grow. That brings us to the most recent location, Downtown, opened just last month.
Why Downtown?
Bridget saw demand in Downtown for the goods her bakery and café offers. She was excited to offer her fresh, locally made food to customers who are familiar with Luna from her other locations down here for work and residents looking to support small businesses. This location exposed Luna to a whole new audience in the city center, and we are fans.
This marks the 28th business to open in Downtown Cleveland in 2023, businesses like these encourage workers to return to the office and residents that occupy the Warehouse district to enjoy Downtown’s amenities!
Let the Food Come to you:
Luna receives deliveries every day from their Midtown Production Facility ensuring its customers are receiving the best and freshest goods. In fact, they just hired another driver to keep up with demand and continue making deliveries possible 7 days a week. Luna also offers deliveries to offices and companies for event catering. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dessert, they can bring it to your front door.
Speaking of delivery, Luna partners with Toast, the mobile app that allows for pickup or delivery. Toast also has a rewards program, once your information is entered you can receive discounts in addition to the app remembering your past orders for quick and easy use.
Getting to the important information, what does Bridget recommend you try:
“My love is in our cakes and cupcakes” gushed Bridget. To my surprise, she told me that many bakeries use a mix for cakes, but not Luna. The homemade mix paired with the homemade light buttercream make for an unforgettable experience. This isn’t your typical grocery store too-sweet-to-stomach cake, this is a different product made with natural ingredients, it may cost Bridget more, but she is happy to do it knowing it is better for her customers.
The message Bridget would like people to take away is support local. She is passionate about small businesses. The way you eat, the places you order from, everything you do makes a very big difference to these small businesses. Check out Luna’s locations today!