Golden Hour Bake House will open Feb. 8 at 11 W. Old State Capitol Plaza, and the business will now feature a breakfast and lunch menu in addition to baked goods.
In 2023, Alli Donaldson launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund her dream of opening a brick-and-mortar location for her business. She had been selling her baked goods at the Old Capitol Farmers Market and other pop-up events since 2021 and developed a strong following, becoming known for her gluten-free and allergen friendly items. Last June, she signed a lease for the main floor of the building at Fifth and Adams streets.
“We didn’t expect it to take this long (to open),” Donaldson said. “The Adams Street fire pushed us back a little bit.”
Golden Hour Bake House has been offering curbside service while renovations were underway, but now customers will be able to dine on-site.
“We will be more café-centered,” Donaldson said. “We’ll have our crowd-favorite baked goods, as usual, and the gluten-free and allergen friendly items in the pastry case. But we’ll also have breakfast sandwiches and other items on the breakfast menu, plus soup, salads and sandwiches in the afternoons.”
The dining room will also include an espresso bar with hot and cold coffee drinks, plus various kinds of tea and lemonade.
A VIP soft opening is planned for 12-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1. The ticketed event requires reservations and includes a breakfast meal, beverage, hors d’oeuvres and mini-pastries. Donaldson said she is also planning specials for the grand opening weekend, including 15% off merchandise and goodie bags for the first 15 people in line.
Hours of operation will be 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
