The much awaited Highland Bakery opened this Spring Break, including a soft opening on Monday, March 25. Highland Bakery, located near Tech Tower, offers an extensive breakfast, lunch and dessert menu.
“[The opening has been] fantastic. We started out opening during Spring Break and even then got a great response,” said Stacey Eames, owner and founder of Highland Bakery.
Campus Services is also not surprised at Highland Bakery’s success thus far.
“We have ‘quietly opened’ right now, but business has been very steady and we always expected that. We get folks coming in at 7:30 for coffee and a very strong lunch crowd…we know that will continue to build as well,” said Riche Steele, Senior Director of Auxiliary Services at Tech.
Highland Bakery offers the full menu seen in other Highland Bakery locations around Atlanta. Also, smaller servings and half options are available to lower pricing for students.
“We have adjusted the menu a little bit with the price points. There really is something for everyone, hopefully. We understand how college budgets go and we definitely want to be sensitive to that,” Eames said.
“We worked on lowering the prices as much as possible. We are always concerned for value,” Steele said.
Students have also been impressed with Highland Bakery’s menu and pricing.
“The Highland Bakery strikes me as a great concept. In a nutshell, each location consists of substantial food for under $10 in under 10 minutes. What more could a college student want?” said Greg Collins, a third-year BUS major.
“I really liked the atmosphere. The staff was super friendly, the service was quick, the food was delicious and the seating was really comfortable,” said Julia Falvey, a first-year BA major. “It seemed like a good place to grab a quick bite to eat or to sit for a while and work on homework.”
Tech is also uniquely home to other multiple Highland Bakery kiosks, which are smaller, satellite locations with condensed menus.
“One of the reasons [Highland Bakery] was chosen was for it to act as an ‘anchor’ for the two kiosk operations around campus. Now, the kiosk will have better support and fresher product provided. We hope to roll out more kiosks. Highland Bakery can only strengthen them,” Steele said.
Highland Bakery is also working on an online ordering system to make ordering food easy for students in a hurry. They are hoping to have it ready for use in the next few weeks.
“You could be sitting in class or wherever and go into the online system and place your order. We will get a ticket in the kitchen and it will be in our system. You just come, simply show up and hopefully we will have your order for you. You can grab it and go or come and get a seat,” Eames said.
Highland Bakery is located in the Old Bradley Building near Tech Tower, the same location Junior’s Grill used to occupy.
“Junior’s era was totally different. Its focal point was burgers and fries. Highland Bakery is a great place to go for a snack or just to treat yourself between classes. We hope it will become a strong Tech tradition,” Steele said.
“We are thrilled to be here. We love this campus and we hope it can be a great addition and bring an element of the food service here that is something people really want. It’s a fantastic space,” Eames said.