Old Oakmont Bakery location could become yoga studio, juice bar

A yoga studio and juice bar may be coming into the old Oakmont Bakery location along Allegheny Avenue.

Bakery owner Marc Serrao confirmed there have been discussions to lease the former retail building next to Chelsea Grille, and another nearby property.

“I have somebody looking at the warehouse and two people looking at the retail building,” he said Tuesday afternoon. “Nobody at the production building yet … I’ve had a lot of interest, but nothing in cement yet.”

He declined to release the names of the companies interested in the spaces.

“We have to wait until they actually sign (the leases), so that should be soon,” Serrao said. “I haven’t really been focusing much on that property because I’ve been so busy at the bakery.”

It has been four months since the Serrao family opened their 19,000-square-foot facility at Third Street and Hulton Road. The Allegheny Avenue location closed Feb. 4.

Things have become more routine after several weeks of grand opening excitement and traffic issues.

“We’re keeping our numbers up, and it’s going really well,” Serrao said. “We seem to be (in) the new normal now. We’re getting more used to it. Customers are used to it … It seems to have calmed down and we have more employees now. I feel really comfortable with where we’re at. We’re still trying to find experienced bakers and cake decorators.”

The old bakery site along the 500 block of Allegheny Avenue came up in conversation during the May 6 Oakmont Council meeting.

Council President Bill Benusa said although no business development plans or proposals have come to the borough office, he is optimistic about the site’s potential.

“I’m glad to see the space being utilized,” he said. “It’s always good to have a space full.”

Mayor Christopher Whaley said he also heard rumors about redevelopment at the old bakery site, and feels businesses have a chance to thrive in the borough.

“What’s attractive about Oakmont’s business district is we don’t have chain stores that can be shopped at in various locations,” he said. “We offer a wide variety of specialty stores that are unique to Oakmont. I don’t know of any other place that offers so many different amenities is such a small geographic area.”

More information about Oakmont Bakery is available at oakmontbakery.com.