Downtown Hartford To Welcome New Bakery

HARTFORD, CT — A growing Connecticut bakery brand isset to open its newest cafe Tuesday in downtown Hartford, bringing coffee, pastries, breakfast and lunch to a former bank space on Trumbull Street.

LuAnn’s Bakery & Cafe is scheduled to open March 31 at 190 Trumbull St. The new Hartford shop will be open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The first 100 customers on opening day will receive a commemorative pin, according to posts announcing the launch.

The business also offers products made in a dedicated gluten-free kitchen in Ellington, including some gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options.

The company now has four locations: two in Ellington, one in Stafford Springs and the new Hartford cafe. It also operates a production hub and gluten-free marketplace kitchen in Ellington.

Behind the brand’s growth is owner Josh Virkler, who was born and raised in Ellington. After a brief time in Illinois, where he owned a tea room, Virkler returned to Connecticut with his wife and five children. He first worked as an employee for LuAnn’s Bakery, long known locally as a popular farmers market staple, before helping lead its expansion into a brick-and-mortar business.

That first storefront opened in March 2017 at 238 Somers Rd. in Ellington. A second location, LuAnn’s Coffee and Good Eats Drive Thru, opened in 2020 on West Road in the Big Y Express building. In January 2022, the company opened its Bakery Hub production facility at 420 Somers Rd. in Ellington. A Stafford Springs location followed in August 2025.

LuAnn’s says its items are made from scratch using high-quality ingredients and family recipes, while also offering daily and seasonal specials.

The bakery has also built ties with other Connecticut businesses. Its products are sold through several local partners, including select Big Y locations, Avon Prime Meats, J. Rego’s Gathering Place, Scandi Shoppe, Willington Pizza, Modern Milkman, Lee’s Auto Ranch and Oak Ridge Dairy.

According to the business, team members begin baking as early as 1 a.m., and as many as 30 to 40 workers may be on the job at a time helping supply its cafes, drive-thru and production operation.