There's Hope For a Baked In Telluride Comeback

Festivarian Events Telluride Bluegrass Festival
#1

Thought some of you would like to know the wheels are turning … although not sure if it’ll materialize (let alone before TBF 2011).

http://www.telluridewatch.com/view/full_story/8562913/article-BIT-Comeback-on-the-Horizon?instance=top_story

HARC to Review Bakery Reproduction Application Next Week

TELLURIDE – Five months after a fire destroyed Telluride’s oldest and most iconic restaurant, Baked In Telluride appears poised for a comeback.

The Historic and Architectural Review Commission will consider final approval of an application to reproduce the historic building form and materials that stood at 127 South Fir St. when it meets next Wed., July 14, starting at 6 p.m.

The intent is to remain true to the appearance of the original 40-feet wide by 100-feet long gable-roofed warehouse structure while meeting all current code regulations.

“We’re trying to build it as it was,” said project architect Peter Sante, indicating that he has a complete set of measured drawings and framing plans from which to replicate the original space.

“Our application does not include additional tenants/condos above or below.”

Sante said that because BIT was a beloved community institution and the property owners, the family of Joseph P. Zoline, are not seeking additional square footage or to substantively alter the appearance of the original structure, he does not envision any major obstacles to HARC’s approval of the application next week.

Because the space is less than 5,000 square feet it is considered a small-scale activity and requires one HARC meeting.

“If the HARC board decides they want more information they could continue it to another meeting,” Sante explained.

BIT, owned and operated by Jerry Greene, served countless affordable meals to locals and visitors alike since opening its doors in 1976. One of the town’s largest employers, it also supplied a variety of bagels and breads from challah to sprouted wheat to retail outlets in the region.

On Tuesday, Feb. 9, the Telluride Fire Protection District received a call around 10:10 p.m. from BIT employees who were cleaning the restaurant after it had closed. They reported smoke entering the back bakery area through the floor above a crawl space.

Despite the valiant efforts of more than 40 volunteer firefighters who attempted to contain the blaze, they could never reach the source of the elusive fire, which inspectors later determined was triggered by heat from the bakery oven that dried out the surrounding wood after years of intense use.

When asked how quickly he could be up and operating if HARC approves the project next week, Greene, the presumed tenant of the new building, responded, “The faster the better.”

“I looked at other locations, but they were all too expensive or not that suitable or both,” he said.

And while there’s no question that the fire was a devastating loss for not just Greene but the entire Telluride community, the upshot to the new construction is the opportunity to fix some of the old design flaws in the internal space.

“We’ll design the layout to suit the bakery,” Greene said.

“We will use the best of what it used to be and make some improvements,” he continued.

For example, “There won’t be that false ceiling in service area.”

Read more: The Watch Newspapers - BIT Comeback on the Horizon

#2

Great News! Let’s hope it pans out! :thumbsup

Auntie Hope :festivarian2 :green

#3

“Pans out”?
I get it Hope…pans out,…bakery,…very funny! :lol :rolleyes

#4

:wave It will be back and BETTER!!! :medal

Missed you this fest however…

#5

Uh… thank you for catching my pun, when I didn’t… :lol

#6

Here’s a more recent article from the TDP:

http://www.telluridenews.com/articles/2010/07/11/news/doc4c38e71fbd365976080697.txt

For Baked, a second chance in a familiar spot

HARC to see plans for a bakery, just like the old one
By Matthew Beaudin Editor
Published: Sunday, July 11, 2010 8:09 AM CDT

The day after Jerry Greene watched his bakery burn to the ground he said he wanted the same thing in the same place. Said he wanted to get to work as soon as he could, even though he hadn’t slept and looked like he’d taken an ash bath.

Thanks to a decision from the Zoline family, the land’s owners, he may be getting just that: On Wednesday, Telluride’s Historic and Architectural Review Commission will review plans for a building that will look like the old one, with only minor improvements such as better wheelchair access and a more roomy feel.

“I’ve been working on this for four months,” said the bakery’s owner and co-founder Greene. “I’m grateful to all the people involved in the Zoline estate.”

At the time it burned down, Baked in Telluride was Telluride’s longest-running restaurant operating in one of its oldest buildings. Its history was written here in bagels and bluegrass, in macaroons and two-for-one loaves of Jewish rye.

Peter Sante, owner of Sante Architects, was tasked with drawing BIT’s phoenix. “The marching order I was given was just to replace that building,” he said, though “it probably won’t sag or lean the way it did.”

There was speculation after the fire that a larger building would take its place; the land just off main street on Fir is some of the most valuable in town.

The use-by-right on the property is far denser than the 40-foot by 100-foot bakery will consume — a location like that is entitled to a 35-foot-tall building with minimal setbacks and deep basements.

“We’re just looking at a nice little bakery,” Sante said. “The family wanted, and Jerry wanted, to be back in that location.”

The plan is to make the new Baked look like the old Baked, but “to make it less of a hodgepodge… and make it open and a little more light-filled. A little more volume, too.”

Sante said the design is moving forward, and that the town has been supportive. He’s hesitant to set a timeline for the project, but thinks that, if things go well, they could start building in the fall.

“We’re making progress there, but we’ve only been on it maybe less than two weeks,” he said.

Indeed, the project could move quickly. It only has to pass though one HARC meeting before pulling a building permit, though that could take some time.

Greene hopes that by the time snow piles up he’s back open. “It is not impossible my sometime this winter,” he said.

#7

This is such good news in so many ways. Thanks, FOM, for the local’s perspective and for your BIT updates.

#8

Yes it is good news, although I must say I’ve lost about 10-15 pounds since the fire!

Apparently Jerry wants nearly the same setup as before, so my guess is that it’ll look a lot like the old BIT. I was kind of surprised that he doesn’t want a larger seating area … since I believe it would help increase sales during peak periods such as bluegrass and such, but apparently the bakery requires a certain amount of space to actually bake items. Apparently, he’s shooting for Thanksgiving … which is possible, but might be overly optimistic.

If it were me, I’d spend the extra time to try and figure out a way to pack more baking machinery into a smaller space & increase the seating area … since it may very well translate into something like $5k per seat compared to a lower margin on wholesale baked goods produced in the back.

In any case, I wish Jerry and the Zolines (owners of the property) all the best!

#9

If they do, let’s hope they bring back the Thai Chicken Pizza that they discontinued 4 years ago. Why would you ever take you best pie off of the menu?

#10

Lots of prep area dedicated to baking. And more seating means more employees, means more tax, on and on…

Sometimes things are perfect just the way they are :flower NEW OVENS!!! :medal

#11

Yeah, I’ve seen the inside of the Cindy Bread Bakery (not the deli location @ lawson, but the actual bakery) & it’s very big too … so I’m sure you’re on to something about needing a big space for baking. It’s just an observation that maybe even a couple more 4-person tables could go a long way.

Same goes for reconfiguring the counter area so the lines don’t deter people from coming inside and it is more conducive to a better flow … although the three registers seemed to work very well compared to La Cocina which always has a line out the door during lunch with just one register – with the cashier doubling as a bartender (which causes the line to crawl when someone orders a tequilla or complicated juice).

In any case, the word is that Jerry is looking to keep everything inside basically the same … which I think would be very cool to “have everything back the way it was”.

#12

If they can build a basement they may have more room for storage, thus have more available space for baking and customers. Let’s just hope it works out best for all of us. :flower

#13

I’m ready to get Baked in Telluride myself.

#14

I was thinking the same thing re: basement, but I don’t believe they’re allowed to if they pursue the “replication of old building” fast track route.

Yeah, I’m hoping too … I think there will be an article in Sunday edition of the TDP with more details of the recent HARC meeting this past Thursday pertaining to BIT.

#15

So it’s official now. BIT gets the official :thumbsup to move ahead. Might be able to :cheers there sometime this winter!

http://www.telluridenews.com/articles/2010/07/22/news/doc4c478fe9e3225230154215.txt

Bakery plan sails through HARC

BIT may be open later this winter
By Matthew Beaudin
Editor
Published: Thursday, July 22, 2010 6:11 AM CDT
The bakery will rise again, and soon. Sketches for a new Baked in Telluride sailed through a Historic and Architectural Review Commission meeting last week reviewing the plans for the site, which essentially call for the same type of shed structure and about the same size.

That still leaves building permits to collect and insurance to sort out, but assuming construction paperwork moves swiftly, builders could break ground sometime this fall.

Baked in Telluride, at the time Telluride’s longest-running restaurant in one of its eldest buildings, famously burned to the ground on a shatteringly cold February night last winter in front of hundreds of onlookers.

After the fire, there was speculation that a taller or denser building would take the iconic red shed’s place, as the land is valuable and its use by right is a 35-foot-tall building with minimal setbacks and deep basements. Ultimately, the Zoline family trust, the land’s owners, elected to bring BIT back.

“I think there’s a benefit to the community. I think there’s a benefit to Jerry [Greene] and the family going forward at this time with the project,” said Gary Finkel, trustee of the Zoline family trust.

Peter Sante, the architect tasked with rebuilding the bakery, said the review lasted only 20 minutes and sketches collected unanimous HARC support.

“This was kind of a feel good application,” Sante said. Telluride’s BONE Construction will build the project, and Sante hopes to get the builders’ drawings in the coming weeks and will pull building permits after that.

“It’s exciting. It’s a lot of fun. Everybody is psyched with the prospect of having it come back,” he said. “This was not an endeavor based on somebody making a killing. … There’s more at stake.”

Owner Jerry Greene has been trying to rebuild his beloved BIT since it burned down. “There was some discussion and some positive thought,” Greene said of the meeting. “The major item was replacing the bakery, and that was of little controversy.”

Greene can’t say when he’ll be popping loaves out of ovens, but he’s hopeful that BIT will be fired up again “sometime in the winter.”

He is grateful to the Zoline family and its trustee for the opportunity to bring the bakery back.

“It was [running] 34 years before. I hope that one way or another, it will carry on for another 34,” Greene said.

#16

Thats great news. We knew it was a special place when on our initial visit the first name called out was Bela. We looked at each other and said “What are the chances that there is someone else named Bela in Telluride?”
Well as you can imagine, the guy walking up to the counter to pick up his order was THE Bela!
Not a person approached him, he was just another guy coming in for breakfast.
Let the tradition continue! :thumbsup

#17

:thumbsup :medal :cheers Fantastic news! Now I really can’t wait :bash :bash :bash for TBF 2011! :clap :love :abduct

#18

That’s the news I’ve been waiting to here!! :cheers

#19

Here’s a pic of the footer forms from Sunday … actually saw they were poured as of yesterday!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l237/hippie421/baked.jpg?t=1286410056

#20

Great news! And looksb like progress is being made. :thumbsup