Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Karina Tafolla, who owns the bakery with Rob Houk, said the bakery will also have handmade empanadas. The menu will start off with chicken, beef and veggie empanadas and eventually they will introduce new flavors such as a steak fajita.
In the mornings, the bakery will have a variety of pastries and after lunchtime they hope to carry more desserts like specialty cakes and parfaits. They plan to try different flavors to see which ones are customer favorites.
Yellow Springs Bakery & Cafe has drip coffee and bottled beverages. In the future, Tafolla plans to introduce her own twist on Aguas Frescas, a popular drink found in Mexico.
Tafolla, who is originally from Mexico, graduated from California’s Le Cordon Bleu, Baking & Patisserie in 2015. This is where she learned the techniques of baking, but her passion came from watching her grandmother bake and cook without measuring ingredients.
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
The first time she came to the United States was in 2001 for vacation. She returned to Mexico, but came back to United States and realized just how much she liked it. Around 2017, Houk and Tafolla moved from California to Ohio.
The bakery originally opened in December 2021 for online orders and pick-ups at 305 N. Walnut St. next to Yellow Springs Brewing. That space features a kitchen they built from scratch, but no seating area or display cases.
They continue to bake at that location and then bring the product over to their storefront. Tafolla said they always had the intention to find a storefront in Yellow Springs, but it took time.
From March 2023 to May 2024, they operated a spot at 2nd Street Market in Dayton. The market allowed them to meet new customers and test new items.
Tafolla is looking forward to having customers in her own space, but is asking for patience as they learn how to operate their first storefront.
More info
Yellow Springs Bakery & Cafe is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. For more information, visit ysbaking.com or the bakery’s Facebook or Instagram pages.
About the Author