Bread, Coffee and Cake in St. Paul

Robert Dubuc hadn’t always thought about opening a bakery. Living in California, he took a loaf of fresh bread for granted.

Then, Dubuc moved to St. Paul and instantly missed the array of fresh baked breads readily available in his former state. That’s when Dubuc said he started making his own.

“I didn’t realize I had a passion for bread until I started baking (it),” he said.

Bread, Coffee and Cake
385 South Wabasha St., St. Paul, MN 55107
Phone: 651-222-7608

Now, Dubuc is the owner of Bread, Coffee and Cake — also known as BC2. Located in the heart of St. Paul’s West Side neighborhood, Dubuc said he hopes his bakery can help the area he also calls home thrive.

“I picked this neighborhood because I live here, and I really want to see it be its best,” Dubuc said.

For instance, Dubuc said he donates his bread to different shelters and organizations in the area, such as the Sheila Wellstone Center.

He also offers tours of the bakery for neighborhood kids and is excited to promote local artists by hanging their work on his walls.

Dubuc said it’s also very important to get his ingredients as locally as possible to keep the money close to home.

Recently, the bakery added a healthy breakfast menu to its plate. Customers can also purchase coffees and teas, soups, salads and sandwiches and desserts.

All except one of the breads at the bakery made using vegan ingredients. Baked from scratch, each loaf uses unrefined sugars and contains low sodium levels, he said. Dubuc hopes this will help his customers develop healthier life styles, he said.

“I’m trying to educate people,” he said. “Once they get the bread in their mouth they realize it’s better than anything they can get at the store.”

Lyssa Beyer is a freelance writer in the Twin Cities.