By ABBY BRAVO
Editor-in-Chief
The Bard and Baker Albany location that has been a staple for Saint Rose students is closing its doors after almost two years of serving the Pine Hills community. Their last day of operation will be May 20 where they will hold a celebration to thank the community members for everything they have done for them.
This is not the end for the company as its parent location, located in Troy, NY, is undergoing renovations to expand into the neighboring space. The Troy location was originally opened in 2018.
Bard and Baker owners Charlotte Guyton and Brian Connor, had been hoping to take over the space next to that location when the current owner’s lease expired, which is what is currently in motion.
“The expansion is like our fully realized vision for that space,” said Guyton.
Employee Xinia Okoren was the first staff member to be trained for the Albany location in 2021. The two locations are very different as Troy is a fully functioning restaurant that has a full kitchen. The Albany location does not have a kitchen and acts as more of a coffee and pastry shop. The Albany location receives all of their baked goods and some beverages, like boba teas, from the Troy location who prepares everything in-house.
Okoren experiences working in both locations and describes them as very different atmospheres. “Taking care of the food, more customer service interactions, it’s a much larger space and there are more games to worry about,” said Okoren when discussing the Troy location.
Okoren will not be returning to the Troy location due to moving, but is very thankful for the experiences Bard and Baker has provided. “The connection I have with like a bunch of people here… I’m realizing how many regulars that we have,” said Okoren.
The sentiment is continued through other employees as well.
Abby Zarakovich, a senior at Saint Rose, has been running Dungeons and Dragons sessions at the Albany location for the past three semesters. “It was a lot of fun… I made a lot of friends!” wrote Zarakovich. She will not be transferring to the Troy location due to travel and graduation. While Zarakovich is not happy about this coming to a close, “it was great while it lasted,” she said.
From the time it opened to its closure, Bard and Baker Albany had a great impact on the Pine Hills community. They will continue to serve the Troy community and host unique events.
While it may be sad to see them go, the decision was best for those involved and the company as a whole to achieve the owners vision.
“My husband [Brian] and I are hoping to start our family this year as well, so we couldn’t really do that with the two locations, of course… It’s sad and bittersweet,” said Guyton.
