I received word that HAYES VALLEY BAKEWORKS, the non-profit bakery and café originally set to open last November, has finally gotten their permits (after an unexpected zoning change) and construction began this week; the opening is now scheduled for early May. The non-profit Toolworks—which is responsible for the “social enterprise” part of the project—has been very busy working not only on their rustic American pastry selection (with loads of gluten-free options), but also on seasonal grab-and-go savories from chef Justin Nilson (formerly with Café des Amis) with additional help from Janet Rikala, a Postrio alumnus.
According to their Facebook page, they have created a “Celebrity Soup” program that will feature a changing roster of featured dishes from the likes of Roland Passot, Mitch Rosenthal, Russell Jackson, James Schenk, Sean Baker, Hoss Zaré, and yours truly, among many more civic-minded food folks who love the project’s core mission of providing a professional baking program with a path to employment for the disabled and formerly homeless. 365 Fulton St. at Gough.