The term “third space” is a location other than school/work or home.
Third spaces tend to be relaxing spaces, free from any expectations and somewhere you want to be but don’t have to be.
That comfortable setting was the thinking behind the name Third Space Bakery Co-op and Teaching Kitchen, which opened Friday morning in Garfield.
Located in the former Spork Pit barbecue restaurant, it will be run as a cooperative, so employees, after an orientation period, can opt to invest in it, giving them a voice in the operations as well as a share of profits. With an investment, they will be entitled to a bonus from the profits, said Beth Taylor, who co-founded the bakery with Chloe Newman and Erika Bruce.
They will feature European-inspired cakes and pastries from cinnamon rolls and sticky buns to sourdough breads, plus breakfast and lunch services.
“We want this to be a third space for people to come and feel comfortable,” Taylor said. “A third space is an individual’s place outside of home and work, their first and second spaces, where they can relax, connect socially, build community and have fun. That is part of our mission.”
Bruce and Newman were makers in residence at the Center for Regional Agriculture, Food and Transformation at Chatham University, an offshoot of the master of arts in food studies program at Chatham. Taylor earned her master of arts in food studies from Chatham in 2015.
Bruce and Newman are bakers and have sold items at area farmers markets, including the one in nearby Bloomfield.
They’ve held pop-ups at Trace Brewing in Bloomfield and Two Frays Brewery in Garfield. The plan is to incorporate craft beer in some menu items.
The bakery will serve coffee from Redstart Roasters in East Liberty and tea from Gyphon’s Tea in Bloomfield. They will also offer house-made sodas. Partnering with local companies such as Frankferd Farms in Saxonburg and Marburger Farm Dairy in Evans City is a big part of the business plan.
The three had been talking about opening a brick-and-mortar location. Wheh the Spork Pit space became available, they decided it was the perfect spot — its 1,200 square feet can be transformed from sales counters to classroom-like setups for cooking and baking demonstrations. They will maximize use of the space for classes and demonstrations in the evenings and on some weekends.
“Our goal is to bring in guest instructors,” Taylor said. “We are available for private classes and team-building events.”
The Urban Redevelopment Authority supported the startup with a small business loan and website support with their Go Go Program - Get Online and Grow Online.
Bruce said she is excited to see this happening because so much thought went into it.
“It was gratifying to see people in the space on our soft opening (last weekend),” she said.
Bruce and Newman now have the creative outlet to experiment with new menu items.
“This is a dream come true,” Newman said. “I wanted to be in the right setting and this feels exactly like what I wanted.”
Third Space Bakery Co-op and Teaching Kitchen is located at 5349 Penn Ave. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday
Details:thirdspacebakery.com
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people and a weekly column about things to do in Pittsburgh. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.