Original Highland Bakery closes doors after 20 years
Highland Bakery’s story began in 1930 as a wholesale bakery in the retail portion of the building. The landlords have owned the building since 1982 and wanted the original Highland Bakery history to be passed down to new generations.
“Certainly that building has held a lot of generations of bakers even though there was a lag there for about 30 years,” Eames said. “One of the brothers [of the original owners of] the bakery came in with his son and it was just super special to have them walk through the building. It was like a kid in a candy store, eyes wide open.”
Eames’ business began with her love of coffee. She opened coffee carts around the city, starting at Piedmont Hospital and expanding to the atrium of the architecture school’s building on Georgia Tech’s campus. Noticing an opportunity, Eames started adding baked goods to her coffee carts.
“I couldn’t find any pastries that I really loved in Atlanta,” Eames said. “I started baking from my own coffee [carts], and then I started baking for other coffee shops. When the Highland Bakery space opportunity became available, it was taking a lot of what I’d done before in my coffee businesses, or in my cafe businesses, and just putting them all under one roof. Then adding in some other layers; we just kept expanding and
growing. Then we started adding new locations.”
Having grown up with her parents in Albany operating their restaurant, “The Hit and Run,” named after Eames’ father’s baseball career, Eames never thought she would want to open her own business someday, until finding the Highland Bakery location.
“Coffee is definitely what I wanted to pursue,” Eames said. “Everything evolved into the Highland Bakery. We kept expanding that business and people showed up, and they loved what we were doing. That made me want to create more. It made me want to create better customer service, I wanted to create the things that people were asking for.”
![MOURNING MEMORIES: Fifteen-years worth of Sunday family
brunches came to an end for loyal customer Will Linares [right]
after the closing of Highland Bakery's original location on Jan. 31.](https://thesoutherneronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/4DOlswrlhzu9vxQUL3b76UZyFBWsuJ2jpu4m5te9.jpg)
Karen Portaleo started working as a cake decorator towards the beginning of Highland Bakery’s opening. Having gotten her start at Highland Bakery, Portaleo will miss the support Eames and the restaurant provided her and the community.
“It leaves a hole in the community,” Portaleo said. “It’s because it was this place that was always there. Highland Bakery was always there, and you could always get that thing that you loved, and it would always taste the same. A lot of people are going to find that this thing that was such a constant in their life is gone; it’s sad for a lot of people.”
Atlanta Girls School teacher and 15-year customer, Will Linares, moved a few blocks from Highland Bakery when he first met Eames. Linares was shocked when first hearing the news of Highland Bakery closing. After years of coming with family for Sunday brunches or a taste of their grits, Linares describes Highland Bakery’s absence as a missing piece in the middle of the puzzle.
“I think something is going to be missing, not just by myself, but I think by a lot of people,” Linares said. “For me not to have known who actually lives four blocks away, imagine those who just show up from out of town because for a lot of out-of- towners, that’s where they want to go.”
Following breaking the news to the community, Eames has been flooded with unique stories from loyal customers, revealing the impact she created.
“Since we’ve made the announcement it’s just astonishing,” Eames said. “The people who have come in, cried, told us stories about what this business has meant to them. It’s anywhere from the first date, and they’re still together after 18 years and have a family now [go to] brunch. I even had one where the woman told me her water broke and was celebrating her 12-year-old’s birthday the other day. People just crying and telling me their stories of how this was their first experience of moving to Atlanta. I had no idea the impact. Hopefully, we can make our other two locations with that same specialness.”
Eames’ dedication to Highland Bakery throughout the years is reflected in the appreciation from Portaleo and the community.
“I would express to the community just massive gratitude, that constant support,” Portaleo said. “They loved Highland Bakery and Highland Bakery loved them back. Stacey gave up a lot of her life; she worked there day in and day out and hardly ever took a day off. Seven days a week she was there because she loved it, and she wanted that for everybody.”
With Highland Bakery’s 20-year lease ending, Eames hopes to continue her journey.
“I know that the community is saddened by it,” Eames said. “I just had no idea how much of an impact this business had on so many people. I know a lot of people [have] already vowed to come wherever we are, and I just want to make the other two places a great place for them to continue on with us and our journey.”
