EDWINS Bakery to Join EDWINS Butcher Shop on Expanding Campus in Buckeye-Shaker

Brandon Chrostowski isn’t one to sit on his hands. Since launching the pioneering EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute, the chef, restaurateur and philanthropist has expanded the scope of his skills-based program for formerly incarcerated men and women to include EDWINS Second Chance Life Skills Center and EDWINS Butcher Shop. He also is a consultant on Sérénité in Medina and in partnership with the West Side Catholic Center in the nonprofit Ohio City Pizzeria. Next up is EDWINS Bakery, which will take shape in the former test kitchen and library on the EDWINS campus in the Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood of Cleveland.

When it is completed in early 2020, the 2,100-square-foot bakery will present students with yet another skill set, this one rooted in baking and pastry. The new component will sell breads and pastries to the public, while offering those same products to area restaurants, including EDWINS. There will be a 20-seat café where neighbors can grab a cup of coffee and a croissant.

“Once this is done, you’ll be able to transition from the butcher shop to the bakery and diner,” Chrostowski says.

Zoss Swiss Baker, which recently closed after 23 years in business, donated a majority of its equipment to the endeavor, adds Chrostowski. Owner Kurt Zoss also loaned his expertise during the planning phase of the project and might act as an instructor once it’s up and running.

The plan is to start construction in late fall with a projected opening in the first quarter of 2020.

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This article appears in Jul 31 – Aug 6, 2019.