There’s only one place on Earth that can provide you the comfort and tastiness of a bacon, egg, and cheese on everything bagel from Bodo’s, rose ice cream from Splendora’s, greek goddess dressing from Feast, and hot chocolate from Mudhouse. Local businesses make Charlottesville one-of-kind. They stand out for the appeal, uniqueness, and personality they add to our town.

One familiar face that can be found behind the counters of a local bakery is that of junior, Frances Newman, whose parents own the Albemarle Baking Company on W Main St. The Albemarle Baking Company has been a part of the Charlottesville community since 1995 when California bakers, Gerry Newman and Millie Carson brought their dreams to life with a small shop on the Downtown Mall. Since the beginning, their goal then and now has been to be the very best they could be. The Albemarle Baking Company has seen great success at national competitions winning awards for their breads, cakes, and overall dedication and skill. They offer a huge variety of baked goods depending the time and day. One can enjoy bear claws and blueberry muffins in the morning and then snickerdoodle cookies and a savory croissant in the afternoon. The most popular items on the menu are the Princess Cake and baguette. Their delicious sweets can be found on their current location in the Main Street Market. Their hours are Mon-Fri from 7am to 6pm, Sat from 7am to 6pm, and Sun from 8am to 3pm.

Owning a business is highly rewarding for numerous reasons such as being their own boss, defining what success looks like for them and the company, and specifically for them, getting to enjoy their passion for baking every single day. For the Newmans, “long term commitment to high quality, hand-crafted products” is what makes their bakery so unique.