By Jason Rowe
Journal Inquirer
April 17, 2006

VERNON - Visitors to the Boston Bakery can now have their cake, and ice cream too.

Last week, the Boston Bakery joined forces with the Loom City Creamery at the popular ice cream shop's 29 W. Main St. location.

The joint venture was made to provide more visibility for the bakery, which has been a downtown Rockville staple for decades.

With the move, the bakery now has a more prominent location downtown, which will be easier for customers to access, officials said.

At the bakery's former retail location on Ward Street, customers had to navigate several stairs before entering the building, while the Loom City Creamery is located on street level, near Central Park.

The new location also provides bakery patrons more parking options, as well as a greater choice in foods.

For example, when a customer orders a sandwich at the Loom City Creamery, they now will have their choice of any of several varieties of fresh breads, officials from both businesses said.

"It is a win-win situation," Boston Bakery owner Elijah Jablonski said in a prepared statement. "Each of our products tends to be seasonal. Having both available at all times through the year at one convenient location seems to make more sense for our customers and for our businesses."

The landmark bakery has gone through several rebirths during the past year as a variety of people have tried to jumpstart the business, which shut down in January 2000 after doing business in town for more than 50 years.

In January 2005, a local ministry group reopened the business after spending months and thousands of dollars renovating the building, which hadn't been significant altered since the 1950s.

But the responsibility of running a full-service bakery became too much, and the ministry group closed the business' doors in June with the hope that a new operator would be found.

Officials succeeded in finding a new operator a few months later, when Jablonski, his sister Nicole, and their family reopened the business in September.

And although the bakery's retail outlet will be on West Main Street, baking still will be done at the Ward Street location, Economic Develop-ment Director Neil S. Pade said Monday.

Because both businesses experience lulls and peaks at different times during the year, Pade said it made sense for both shops to join forces.

"It seemed like it would be a good opportunity to take advantage of each other's situation," Pade said. "They are going to be able to take advantage of economies of scale and cost sharing."

Loom City Creamery opened its doors in October 2003 and has become a popular local business.

Since its opening, the business has expanded to a neighboring storefront and more than tripled its size.
The business also expanded its offerings to include a deli.

Loom City Creamery owner Brian Motola said in a news release that he looks forward to the new business arrangement.

"We really want to provide the best service and products to our loyal customers, and this is a way to achieve that," said Motola, who is also a member of the Town Council. "This is a big win for downtown Rockville."

©Journal Inquirer 2006