A new Scandinavian bakery is taking shape at 6 Wapping Road in East Windsor, in a storefront that's already cycled through two other bakeries over the past two years. The shop is expected to sell traditional Scandinavian baked goods along with coffee and other drinks, filling a space that most recently sat empty after its last tenant packed up for Avon.
According to The Connecticut Scoop, the new bakery will be owned by Olivia Smith, per town records and building permits cited by the outlet. The Scoop's reporting on the project appears in two separate posts that differ on the business's name and precise location: one identifies it as Smultronstalle Cafe situated in the Broad Brook section of town, while another, published the same day, calls it The Scandi Bakery and places it in the Windsorville section of East Windsor. Hoodline could not independently confirm which description is accurate.
Smith is also the owner of the nearby Scandi Shoppe, a small retailer selling Scandinavian goods, homeware, food, books, vintage items and stationery, the same outlet reports. That connection gives the new bakery an established local tie: Smith's family business has deep Scandinavian roots in the region, dating back decades before this latest venture.
A Family Business With Roots Back to 1964
The Scandi Shoppe's own account, posted on its website, says Olivia took over the business in 2020 and relocated it to its current home in Broad Brook. That mirrors earlier reporting from the Hartford Courant, which described Smith as the third generation of her family to run the shop, tracing its roots to 1964, when her grandmother, a Swedish immigrant, first opened the store in Ellington.
That original shop featured Scandinavian food, candy, jewelry, crafts, books, Tomte gnomes and Christmas ornaments, the Courant reported at the time. The business later moved from Ellington to a newly renovated location at 149 Rockville Road in Broad Brook, according to Patch.
A Storefront That's Seen Bakeries Come and Go
The 6 Wapping Road address has a recent history of short-lived bakery tenants. Frankie B's Bakery operated there as of April 2024, advertising breads, brownies, cakes, cookies, muffins and made-to-order breakfast and lunch sandwiches and wraps, according to a listing from the East Windsor Chamber of Commerce.
From Chan Bakeshop later took over that space before closing it to relocate to Avon, as reported by CT Insider. A subsequent CT Insider report on the bakery's eventual closure in Avon quoted the owner describing the East Windsor site itself as a “really tough location” with a lack of visibility and continuous business challenges.
Whether the new Scandinavian concept can succeed where two predecessors struggled remains to be seen. The Connecticut Scoop said it had reached out to the owner for more details on the opening timeline and a list of future products, but no additional specifics have been reported.
