Bakery18
Atrium on Bay, 20 Dundas Street West, lower level
416-979-7168

In the land populated by doughnuts, coffee, or the ubiquitous bagel, a young player rises up to open minds and stomachs with new possibilities. Bakery18 is a two-year old business run by the granddaughter of the creator of Jin Cheng Bakery Ltd. (3636 Steeles Ave E Unit 138) that originated in Taiwan nearly 60 years ago. At its helm is the youthful and bubbly co-owner/store manager, Vivian Chen, who has helped to open three stores in the family business empire.

While working in her family’s bakery, Chen was approached by a customer of the original Jin Cheng store in Taiwan with the idea to open a concept bakery in Toronto. Here she found the perfect medium into which she was able to inject her own personality: Bakery18 was customized to incorporate happy colours, with the store set-up resembling an actor’s stage - a tribute to her days in drama and theatre production at McMaster University; even the pink shopping bags were courtesy of Chen’s design, although she does note that many male customers refuse the rosy packaging (fear not, black coloured bags are in the works).

We take a seat at one of the tables just outside Bakery18, chatting like old girlfriends over, appropriately, a cup of hot Hong Kong-style milk tea and an egg tart. It may be time for afternoon tea for most, but Chen’s been on her feet since 6am, helping the baker prepare the day’s freshly baked buns and individually packaging all 1300-2000 of them before the crowds start to fill the space.

She subscribes to the philosophy that young people are able to persevere better even if it means working 18 hour days, 7 days a week. In fact, Chen believes that if one works more when they are younger, they would have less to do in the future. Such determination has encouraged Chen to further expand the Bakery18 empire, to a second downtown location (yet to be disclosed). We chat about what it was like to grow up always surrounded by fresh baked goods; how easy it was to request fresh slabs of cake to snack on; the cute confession she made as a child to her mother that if she had not grown up in the bakery environment, she’d probably have starved; and about her move to Toronto at age 11.

We discuss the popularity of the Asian bun, particularly in the bakery’s new digs. Chen suspects that Canadians may be growing tired of dry, dense and dull bagels or oily, sugar-laden doughnuts, having few options in between. Not only are Asian buns soft, supple and filled with quality goods ranging from curry beef, taro paste and milky custard, but the price is competitive - buy 6 buns and save on tax. She feels the customers introduced to these new treats are surprised by the quality of the breads, noting that nearly 300 samples are given away daily (and yes there are repeat samplers, but they are repeat customers too). Many office and hospital workers, mall-goers or GO bus travellers stop in for a fix - a vast majority of them purchasing the buns for their family members.

Chen believes that people are changing the way they eat to incorporate both health and convenience, where these buns are a good and convenient alternative for parents to pack into their kid’s lunches or use as a substitute for breakfast. Customer feedback has also been highly valued, resulting in the creation of items like the Omega3 buns ($1.50) made with flaxseeds and flax oil, which is often sold out. The popularity of the buns has even caught the attention of an academic institution just outside the GTA, proposing to offer Bakery18 products as a mealtime option for hungry students - a rumour that has made some student GO travellers very happy.

So how much is Bakery18 loved? I was told the story of how one customer rushed in to the bakery to satisfy a bun craving before returning home a couple days after being hospitalized for a small surgery, where Vivian fondly remembers advising the customer to not tell her mother that she came to see Vivian first!

The future for this hard worker depends on the success of the rumoured second branch of Bakery18; if all goes well, then Toronto and its surrounding areas may see franchising opportunities pop up. But Chen is careful not to think too far ahead, living moment by moment, and enjoying her time working in this business. In another two years Chen may find herself taking a year hiatus and travelling the world. Dubai comes at the top of her list of places to visit, as she’s curious to see how the city’s rapid pace of development can be brought back to her own business in Toronto.

As we bid adieu, I overhear one female patron usher her beau toward the pastry filled cases, enthusiastically noting that this was her favourite bakery. It seems many others share her devotion.

Renée Suen is a graduate student at the University of Toronto, specializing in cardiovascular sciences. She has an insatiable appetite and can often be found searching for something tasty to eat with her camera. Many of these culinary discoveries can be found on her Flickr site.