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Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from the tri-state area. In addition to this update from Manchester, Iowa, we will share other developments in Tuesday’s edition.
A Manchester restaurant soon will reopen at a new location.
The Bread Basket will be located at 101 S. Franklin St., near Fiesta Cancun. Bread Basket owner Jackie Mormann closed the 113 E. Main St. location in mid-July as work commenced on the new space.
“I rented that (Main Street) building and was having some issues,” she said. “There was no air conditioning. This (Franklin Street) building had been for sale for a while, and the more I thought about it, the more I thought I’d like to have my own building, just to be able to make the place mine.”
Mormann bought The Bread Basket in 2013, and the eatery has been located on Main Street since then.
The new location was built in 1855 and was initially a dry goods store, but Mormann said it also has been a grocery store, barbershop and clothing shop over the years.
“It’s the oldest building in Manchester, so that’s a little intriguing,” she said. “But with it being an old building, there’s a lot of upkeep. Some things have been neglected over the years, so we’ve been digging right into it.”
Mormann said she purchased the building in August, and renovation work has been ongoing since. She hopes to reopen the restaurant in November or early December, depending on how long the finishing touches take.
The building has a main level and a lower level. Mormann said the main level will have the dining area and kitchen, and she also will sell items such as greeting cards and jewelry. The lower level will be used as a place to cater events, as well as a conference or meeting room.
“I hate being closed,” she said. “I’ll be glad to be open again. We’re trying to do everything as fast as we can and as soon as possible. I hope everyone remembers that we’re here, and we’re looking forward to serving everybody again.”
Updates on progress on The Bread Basket can be found at thebreadbasketmanchester.com or on The Bread Basket’s Facebook page.