The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Marta’s N More Bakery to host opening party
A new bakery on Broadway will bring donuts and seasonal treats to downtown Lorain.
Marta’s N More Bakery Store owner Marta DeLeon will host a grand opening party from 2 to 6 p.m., Sept. 6, at 763 Broadway and in the parking lot across East Eighth Street.
DeLeon will supply sweets at her shop.
The space across the street is needed to hold the jazz band of DeLeon’s brother, Sammy DeLeon, now based in Cleveland and known for Latin music.
The youngest of 14 siblings and a mother of four children, DeLeon credited her sister Carmen for introducing her to the Betty Crocker Cookbook as a girl.
Learning to bake, “made a lot of mistakes, made a lot of mistakes, but I learned from there,” DeLeon said.
Mixing and managing pots and pans is a stress for some people, but she said the kitchen is a respite for her.
“When things are stressed, I just want to cook for 20 hours,” DeLeon said.
DeLeon worked 15 years in patient registration and intake at Mercy Health Lorain Hospital.
She said she loved helping the patients and their families, who could be nervous or distressed when their loved ones were ill.
But, she also had an urge to get out from behind the desk there.
The store has been in planning stages since last fall.
The novel coronavirus pandemic slowed down plans for opening, but also created more time to design and build the space.
Items will be available for carryout.
“I know people want some normalcy; I hope to provide that,” DeLeon said.
For 19 years, DeLeon has built a sweet-toothy client base for her gourmet caramel apples sold at craft shows in the fall.
Those will be available at the store, along with cakes, fritters, donuts and cookies.
The menu will emphasize local and seasonal products — “that’s part of the more,” DeLeon said.
Now a Brownhelm Township resident, DeLeon easily can recite the area’s farm markets and produce stands in the country west of Lorain and Vermilion.
Broadway was the easy choice for a location for the store.
“I saw Lorain is building back up, and I want to be a part of it,” DeLeon said.
COVID-19 spurred restrictions on public gatherings — good for not spreading the virus, but bad for restaurants and bars that had to shut their doors for months.
There will be more opportunities to spread the word about the changes taking place in downtown Lorain, especially those involving good food and drinks.
DeLeon recounted bringing friends from Huron to Broadway for a drinks-and-dinner tour.
“They thoroughly enjoyed it,” she said. “No one has a clue that Lorain is coming around with all the good restaurants and food right now.
“I think everybody has to promote it. I’m positive, I’m so optimistic about it.
“We’re coming around. We still have movement. We’re still going forward, even though this is a trying and difficult time.”