Artisan bakery adds to the revitalization of downtown Springfield

Date: 7/6/2021

SPRINGFIELD – For Sonia Yelder, the official grand opening Granny’s Baking Table was more than just having a ceremony for her second business in the city. She said surviving the pandemic was “a mission for me.”

Mayor Domenic Sarno and City Councilor Jesse Lederman were on-hand to cut the ribbon.

Yelder and her partner Todd Crossett opened the small batch bakery at 309 Bridge St. in November 2019. They had planned once establishing the bakery to have a grand opening, but the pandemic shut down those plans.

On June 29, Yelder and Crossett opened their doors for a proper grand opening, offering customers free baked goods.

Yelder said they were “very lucky” for the business to survive the pandemic. She was thankful for the community support.

Granny’s Baking Table not only offers baked daily goods, but also lunch items as well. A long center table dominates the space, instead of a series of separate tables. Yelder’s and Crossett’s plan is to have customers to sit together and enter into conversations.

She proudly noted the bakery does not offer Wi-Fi to encourage conversation and build community.

Describing herself as a “Springfield girl,” Yelder said the bakery as the “second step” of showing “the potential of what can be done.”

Yelder has operated the Souper Sweet Sandwich Shop in the Forest Park neighborhood for several years and views her second business as “part of the revitalization” of downtown.

Crossett called the bakery “a project of love,” although he added the pandemic “threw us for a loop.”

During the pandemic, the pair gave away leftover baked goods and took lunches to homebound elderly. Their efforts to help were noted by their customers who began buying for not only themselves, but also their families and friends.

The grand opening was more of “a celebration that we made it through the pandemic,” Crossett said.

Yelder explained she was looking for a downtown location and looked at another location on Bridge Street, but though this one was the best.

“I’m happy with what we are doing,” Yelder said.

For more information, go to www.grannysbakingtable.com.