Fans of Leland's
Stone House Cafe will rejoice in the opening of a second restaurant, this time in Traverse City.
Housed in the former Mustard's restaurant at 202 E. State Street in the City Centre Plaza, Stone House Bread Cafe opened one week before the National Cherry Festival. Inside, patrons get a peek at how the cafe's namesake artisan bread is made, with three main ingredients -- organic flour, well water and sea salt – the exact recipe that former newsman Robert Pisor created when he opened Stone House in 1995.
"Our bread is hand-formed. All we have is a mixer and an oven," says Tonie Spearing, one of four co-owners who bought the business in 2007 from Pisor.
Although Stone House loaves are available in grocery stores, the cafe's scratch-made pastries are not. Until now, Traverse City residents looking for Stone House's wild-blueberry scones and rustic apple tarts had two choices: squeeze through the throngs at
Sara Hardy Farmers Market or drive 25 miles to Leland.
"For the past couple years, we've been looking for a location in Traverse City because there is a large amount of tourists that do not venture to Leland," Spearing says.
Like its Leland sister, the new cafe serves breakfast and lunch. The cherry-walnut French toast and egg-topped focaccia with olive oil and cheese are popular at breakfast, while varying lunch selections may include muffuletta (salami, ham, Swiss, provolone smeared with olive relish on ciabattini) or Leelanau Chicken (topped with goat cheese, spinach and cranberry relish on cherry walnut).
Along with its new cafe, Stone House Bread is expanding its retail turf. Stores from Midland to Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids to Charlevoix now carry the earthy loaves in their unique brown wrapper.
"It's a fun, cool business," Spearing says.
Writer: Tom Tracey
Source: Tonie Spearing
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.