Mezzo Bakeshop swings open its doors Saturday at 7 a.m. in Midtown Oklahoma City, bringing laminated pastries, macarons and espresso martinis to a building that was home to Brown's Bakery for roughly 31 years. The first 350 customers through the door will walk away with a free t-shirt, part of a grand-opening celebration owners say has been months in the making.
According to KFOR, the new European-inspired café sits at 1100 N. Walker Ave., a building that has cycled through several identities over the decades. Clyde's Supermarket first opened there, followed later by a Salvation Army thrift store and, eventually, the beloved Brown's Bakery, which closed its doors after nearly eight decades serving Oklahoma City. William Brown, tied to that bakery's legacy, told the outlet the location holds many memories.
Brown's Bakery had operated in Oklahoma City since 1946 and moved into the Walker Avenue building in 1992, where it stayed until closing in July 2023, according to KGOU. Brown's Bakery eventually closed. The property's roots go back even further: it originally housed Clyde's Supermarket, per the same station's reporting.
A Historic Building Gets New Life
The building's significance earned it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places under the designation Clyde's Supermarket and T.G.&Y., according to the National Park Service. Mezzo's team stripped the structure back to its original bones, adding what the owners describe as their own personal touch to the space, KFOR reports.
Midtown Renaissance's website identifies the property as The Clyde-Brown Building, according to Midtown Renaissance.
From Coffee Franchises to a Custom Bakeshop Concept
Mezzo Bakeshop is a custom European bakeshop concept associated with local entrepreneurs Chad and Tori Arnold, who already run Oklahoma franchise locations of Austin-based Summer Moon Coffee, according to CanvasRebel Magazine. The couple's move into a custom European bakeshop concept builds on their established track record in the region's coffee and hospitality scene.
Running the kitchen is Executive Chef John Conway, who previously worked at The Hutch on Avondale in Nichols Hills and was mentored by prominent Oklahoma City chef Kurt Fleischfresser, according to Oklahoma Magazine. Conway told KFOR that the sandwich names and wording on Mezzo's menu were designed to immerse guests in Italian culture, part of a broader goal, shared by the team, of making customers feel transported to Italy. Niall Ferguson serves as general manager at Mezzo Bakeshop.
What's on the Menu
The menu blends croissants, sandwiches and coffee with more specialized items: laminated pastries, macarons and evening espresso martinis, according to a Facebook announcement from the bakery. Among the offerings is a pinolate cookie made with pine nuts. The bakeshop presents a European-inspired café concept with coffee, sandwiches and casual dining.
Mezzo's daily café operations include counter and service positions. The team says it hopes to build a group of regulars who feel welcomed and part of the team as the café settles into its new corner of Midtown.
