Growing BonBonerie, One Square Foot at a Time .

            In the very beginning my partner and I each put five hundred dollars into an official business account at US Bank. We were thrilled when we received our checks with The BonBonerie printed across the top. But soon after that day we had to begin spending those checks on rent. We were a bit like a friend that needed a place to stay while they were figuring themselves out. We couldn’t afford our own kitchen with our own refrigerators and oven with our thousand-dollar investment, so we convinced two open minded successful female caterers to let us share their space while we built our business. The first was Cathi O’Brien Catering in Madeira and the second was Sonja Henrixson of Silver Sage Catering at the Instant Replay Building in East Walnut Hills. When they weren’t using their spaces for their own endeavors, we would get to work. Flexibility and camaraderie became essential to our survival. They were both generous with their spaces and their support .

            For five years we didn’t seek out a storefront because our business plan was designed to sell to restaurants and other wholesale establishments, but eventually no matter what our business plan was evolving into, we simply needed to grow up and find a space of our own. We had stayed on Sonja’s “couch “as long as we could. We ended up finding a location about a mile away. It was a large open space in O’Bryonville, where a fancy new-aged bicycle shop called Solo Sports had vacated. We didn’t consider it a detriment that the entrance was in the back of a building off a one way street. In fact, it’s challenges felt familiar, and the rent was affordable.

            When we first moved into our new space, we had many interesting neighbors. There was the Player Piano Shop, a neighborhood grocery store, a barber shop, Menasha’s Delicatessen, a revival church or two, the Musical Arts School, English Traditions, Franklin Savings, Obryon’s Pub, Widmer’s Dry Cleaners, East Hill Garage, Pack’s Pharmacy, the Blue Wisp, Laura O’Bryons, and a very hip newfangled gourmet food shop as close to the Silver Palate as Cincinnati had ever seen. We felt like we had moved to a great LOCATION, in capital letters.

            Our new landlord also owned Evergreen, the retirement home near Wyoming. After a year, he offered to sell us the building for one hundred thousand dollars. It might as well have been a million. “If only”, we still say to ourselves each month as we write our rent check to Grandin Properties, who did purchase the building.  But thirty-eight years later, we are still here as the shops and restaurants in O’bryonville continues to come and go around us.

            Ultimately, our location has created numerous challenges for staff and customers.  Many customers get legitimately confused. “It says 2030 on the door of the Cafe. Is this the bakery?” they ask befuddled. Or “How do I get to the Bakery? Where is the Cafe?” or “Where is the Tearoom?” No number of signs ever seems to make a difference. There used to be a pay phone at the corner of Madison Road and Torrence Parkway and people would call us and ask “I’m standing at 2030 Madison Road, and I don’t see you. Where IS BonBonerie?”  We love and appreciate our dedicated and patient customers who we have put through a lot just to find us . We assure you that we work extra hard to make the trip worth your efforts.

            Our building was constructed in the early 1900’s and as “charming “as it is, it’s also a very challenging space to run a business in. We have tremendous empathy for all delivery people. There isn’t a day when we don’t offer any delivery person who drags in the hundreds of pounds of flour, sugar, butter, boxes or eggs up or down the long cascade of concrete steps a treat when their deliveries are finished. As for staff, it’s a tight squeeze almost everywhere. I most admire their tenacity when passing sheet trays of cookies one sheet tray at a time up the spiral staircase where each cookie has been baked and decorated. Don’t ask anyone behind the counter about charm, though, it’s rarely visible to them, but I still see it some days. Our space is alive with the character that blood, sweat, tears and a dusting of sugared beauty has created.

            Inch by inch we have taken over almost all the spaces at 2030 Madison Road and even took over the space next door for our quirky but beloved old tearoom. Many of you still wax poetic about the old tearoom. I liked it too. Quirk and tearooms go hand in hand. In closing, though, I would like to list all the different businesses , almost exclusively run by other adventurous and interesting women , whose space, after they had  moved on, we eventually called our own. Life does go on.I believe that’s a good thing. Here are the names of some of their endeavors. Maybe you can recall shopping at their places as clearly as I can. 

•   Solo Sports a very cool new concept in fancy bicycles……..the Bakery

•    Linda Jordan Exercise Studio… very very modern women exercising madly would visit us after their sessions. Haha! …….the cookie department and Cafe prep area

•    Art painting furniture studio…… first the original tearoom, now storage and employee lunch area

•    Mexican artifact store… first the original tearoom storage and employee lunch area

•    Nail salon. (Women with freshly painted nails would ask us to get money out of their wallets to buy cookies and scones)  …… our offices , new tearoom

•    Billy Inabnitt Interior Designs ……..our offices

•    Margot Madison’s Invitation and Stationery Store. ……..Cafe

•    Massage Studio………… new tearoom

•    Flags USA…….Cafe

•    Antique Store……Cafe

•    Gifts designed by artists, owned by Vera Stasny New Tearoom

•    Jewelry Maker with unique gifts who made jewelry there……. New Tearoom

•    Coffee Shop on Madison (our present Cafe)

•    One Last Stitch  …… Cafe

•    Designs on Madison……. Tearoom and offices

Thanks for your patience with this crazy, exasperating space. We feel your pain and your affection.

Sharon Butler, Co-Founder BonBonerie