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By Gina Tron
Red Hen Bakery and Café is expanding into downtown Montpelier, where it will open a new café at 60–64 Main Street on May 1, filling a long-vacant storefront.
“We have a lot of affection for the Montpelier community,” Randy George, who owns Red Hen with Eliza Cain, told The Bridge.
Through 25 years of vending at the Capital City Farmers Market, the couple built strong ties to the community.
“I was always so touched and amazed at the kind of enthusiastic, loyal support we get from them,” George said. “It’s a community that supports local businesses.”
The new location will offer the same menu items Red Hen is known for: European-style breads made with organic flour, pastries, and coffee. The café will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended evening hours for creemees during the summer. The new café will also offer a corporate catering menu for breakfast and lunch meetings.
The expansion comes during a transitional period for the business, which is shifting operations from its longtime Camp Meade location in Middlesex to a new production facility at 31 Welch Park. The move will ultimately result in two café locations — one in Montpelier and another in Middlesex.
Construction started last month at 31 Welch Park, where Cain and George expect to move bakery production in September. They plan to build a new café there shortly after.
Red Hen’s café in Camp Meade will close on May 1, ending their 18-year run there. Woodbelly Pizza, which closed its Barre Street location in July, is expected to move into the Camp Meade space after Red Hen departs. Red Hen’s bakery will continue operating at Camp Meade until the move to Welch Park is complete.
Cain and George plan to operate cafés in both locations once construction is completed.
“While we had originally hoped to keep our wholesale and retail operations together in one place, this transition will mean operating across multiple locations for a period of time,” George said in a press release.
This expansion was not the couple’s original plan. The move to Montpelier was prompted by delays in the completion of their new Middlesex location. For Red Hen, the change is bittersweet.
“We are sad to be leaving Middlesex,” George said. “This community has been very good to us, but the opportunity to occupy a larger space in downtown Montpelier is very exciting.”
About 3,000 of the café’s 4,000 square feet will be dedicated to seating. George said this provides an opportunity to share space with those interested in hosting performances and private events. He also plans to incorporate a kids’ corner.
“We want to respond to the needs of the community,” he said.
Cain echoes that sentiment.
“There are so many possibilities that exist with this transition, as well as opportunities to further build up and support the local community through both cafés,” Cain said in the press release.
Unlike Middlesex, where George notes they are the only business of their kind within five miles, they will now be sharing downtown Montpelier with several other bakeries and cafés.
“We want a healthy business ecosystem, where each entity has its part to play. We want a symbiotic relationship,” he explained.
The owners reached out to businesses that offer comparable products.
“We told them we really look forward to working with you, not against you, and figuring out where we fit in properly,” George told The Bridge. “We want it to be a situation where we’re all thriving.”
Locals are already abuzz with excitement about the new addition to Main Street, which will fill a void where Rabble-Rouser closed abruptly in 2024. Access Café, which briefly occupied the space, closed last February.
“That storefront has been empty for far too long, and having a successful seasoned business in there feels like a perfect partnership for our community,” Montpelier Mayor Marc Gwinn told The Bridge. “On a personal note, I’m excited to have their creemees within walking distance.”
Bill Kaplan, landlord of the new location, credited Gwinn and city management for their “determination and enthusiasm to bring Red Hen to Main Street in this critical time of the city’s history.”
“We are thrilled Red Hen Bakery and Café is coming to town,” he told The Bridge. “Red Hen has been a pioneering, beloved, and foundational part of Vermont’s local food movement and business community for almost three decades.” With its expansion into Montpelier, Red Hen is positioning itself for its next phase — one that builds on its long-standing ties to the region.
The business first opened in 1999 in Duxbury as a wholesale operation and later expanded into retail, growing from eight employees to about 60. It has been recognized for its progressive employment practices, including comprehensive health care benefits and a no-tipping model.
