“Come hungry, leave fulfilled.”
That is the motto of Edgar’s Bakehouse, a scratch bakery concept joining the Edgar’s Hospitality family that includes Helms College, The Pinnacle Club, Edgar’s Grille and Edgar’s Above Broad. The new bakery is located at 3170 Washington Rd. alongside the Goodwill retail store.
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Michael Romano, the executive pastry chef at Edgar’s Bakehouse, moved to Augusta four months ago, having already established a career as a chef in New York. He’s a two-time Food Network champion and previously worked as the head pastry chef at The Pierre, a Forbes 5-star hotel in New York City.
“I’m extremely excited to be here and help to show people what the wide world of pastry and desserts can be,” Romano said. “I’m passionate about what the Edgar’s family is doing, and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Romano will work closely with Chef Frank Kassner, who leads all culinary operations in the Edgar’s Hospitality Group properties. He called Edgar’s Bakehouse a long-time passion project come to life.
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Kassner is a big proponent of regionality and seasonality when it comes to what consumers put into their bodies, and he said that will play a key role in the menu at Edgar’s Bakehouse and in the other properties.
“Your body wants certain food at certain times of the year,” Kassner said. “And your body can feel the difference, both in taste and how you feel after you eat something when it is as fresh as can be and in season.”
His focus on the best ingredients possible and imparting that focus to the culinary students of Helms College is one of the main reasons Goodwill partnered with the Southeastern Company to establish Wrights Farm, a neighborhood coupled with a 5-acre farm just a few miles from Edgar’s Bakehouse. The corn, tomatoes, blackberries and any other food under the sun that’s in-season will be harvested and directly transported to the EHG properties for use in their kitchens.
Jim Stiff, CEO of Goodwill of Middle Georgia and the CSRA, said every dollar spent at the bakery and the other EHG properties helps to support others in finding jobs and furthering career pathways.
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“When you enjoy our fresh pastries or a cup of our signature coffee here, you are helping to change lives,” Stiff said.
Culinary students at Helms College are offered experiential learning opportunities across the EHG properties, and funds from those properties flow into funding Goodwill’s humanitarian efforts like The Job Connection, one campus of which is next to Edgar’s Bakehouse.
“Thank you in advance to Augusta for supporting our efforts by visiting Edgar’s Bakehouse,” Stiff said. “Our ovens lift the batter, and you all out there lift the lives of those who will stir love into each recipe.”
Edgar’s Bakehouse officially opens Monday, July 12. The hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Tyler Strong is the Business Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at tyler@theaugustapress.com.
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