This Friday, the tiny green bread shed in Hyde Park swings back open, signaling the return of Stoya Bread & Co.'s weekly drops after a brief pause. The microbakery is run by University of Texas graduates Sydney Stewart and Nicolas Montoya, who built a self-serve storefront in a neighbor's front yard and turned it into a cult favorite for sourdough loaves, bagels, and cookies. Stewart is now stepping into Stoya full-time, while Montoya balances a new nine-to-five job and still helps with baking and upkeep.
As reported by CultureMap Austin, the pair plan to bring back Friday shed days starting this week, roll out a s'mores cookie as their summer seasonal treat, and launch a new website in the coming weeks. Montoya said, "Engineering school was very hard to juggle running a startup at the same time," and the month-long break gave them room to reset before jumping back in. The reopening is the latest turn for a tiny operation that started as a Friday night baking ritual and quickly grew into a neighborhood fixture.
The University of Texas profiled the founders' story earlier this spring, noting that Montoya built the shed himself while Stewart handled the business side, and that both graduated in May as members of UT's Class of 2026. According to UT Austin News, preorders and weekly walk-up sales helped Stoya scale up production even with limited oven space. Stewart told the university, "The look in someone’s eye whenever you know you’ve made something exactly perfect. That’s why I bake."
Hyde Park Roots And Community Backing
Neighbors stepped up when housing changes threatened the shed's home base, offering front-yard space that kept the stand on a walkable street and off campus. Early reporting placed the unit near King Street and West 35th, even listing a temporary address at 619 W. 35th St., where weekly restocks often sell out within hours, according to The Daily Texan. The honor-system setup and obvious neighborhood support have become core to the bread shed's appeal and how it operates.
Plans, Preorders And A Fellowship Boost
Beyond this week’s comeback, the bakers say they are mapping out a second bread shed in East Austin, planning sourdough classes, and lining up more farmers market appearances as they try to grow without losing that tight-knit, neighborhood feel, per CultureMap Austin. Stewart also received a $10,000 culinary fellowship from the Junior League of Austin, a financial boost that The Alcalde notes will help fund the shop's next steps. Preorders and larger orders already run through the team's online forms and their Linktree.
Stoya's restart this week will be an early test of whether a student-born side hustle can handle the awkward middle stage of growth. For Hyde Park residents who have watched the shed shift from a weekend project to a community staple, the return is also a reminder that small, low-tech experiments still have a place in Austin's busy food scene. For the latest on ordering, the couple's social channels are still the best way to track weekly menus and drop times.
