Kneads Bakeshop is coming to The Village of Cross Keys.
Caves Valley Partners announced on Tuesday that Kneads Bakeshop has signed a lease and will open a boutique grab-and-go style bakery and coffee shop in the “jewel box” building now under construction in the planned community at 5100 Falls Road.
The 1,302-square-foot bakery is expected to open by the fall of 2024 between Always Ice Cream Company and an Asian restaurant that the Atlas Restaurant Group plans to open. Cece’s Roland Park by the Cordish Company is another restaurant coming to Cross Keys.
Kneads Cross Keys will be the second location for Kneads Bakery, which opened its first, Kneads Bakery & Café, at 506 S. Central Ave. in March 2023.
The 10,000-square-foot retail cluster represents the first new construction at Cross Keys in years. It provides a new front entrance to the Village Shops section of Cross Keys, a community developed by The Rouse Company starting in the 1960s on land that was once part of the Baltimore Country Club.
Caves Valley acquired the retail and office portions of the community in 2020 and launched an effort to upgrade them and bring in new tenants. The completed development will include nearly 350 more apartments as well as new retail and office buildings.
“As we began our search for satellite locations, it became clear that Cross Keys’ beautiful and intimate outdoor shopping district was a no-brainer,” said Kira Paterakis, co-owner of Kneads, in a statement. “It’s the perfect place to grab coffee, a pastry, or glass of wine. Our positioning at the front of the property will make it easy for people to dine-in or take on-the-go.”
The neighborhood “is a true gem, and we’re excited to see how it evolves over the next year,” Paterakis added. “We can’t wait to showcase our Kneads product and add a ‘much-Kneaded’ amenity to the area.”
In addition to a full breakfast and lunch menu, Kneads Cross Keys will feature freshly baked items; artisan coffee by Aveley Farms and Wight tea as well as beer, wine and cocktails.
Additional offerings will include healthy options, a kids menu tailored to families, and catering for corporate functions, baby and bridal showers, wedding brunches, and other events. Kneads also supplies artisan breads and pastries to Maryland restaurants and hotels.
“It is gratifying to bring yet another beloved and iconic Baltimore family and brand to Cross Keys,” said Arsh Mirmiran, the principal at Caves Valley Partners leading the redevelopment of Cross Keys, in a statement. “Kneads and Cross Keys are a perfect match, offering a modern experience rooted in a proud heritage. They are a fantastic addition to Cross Keys’ mix of food and beverage options, as we become a daily stop for the neighbors and residents of North Baltimore.”
The land where Kneads, the ice cream shop and the Asian restaurant are under construction was at one point envisioned as a possible site for a grocery store, but Caves Valley decided to go in a different direction. Last year it announced plans to lease space elsewhere in the Village Shops for an Italian market called ZaVino Italian Marketplace.
According to Cross Keys’ website, ZaVino will combine an Italian delicatessen and grocery with a brick oven pizzeria and liquor store. Expected to open by late spring or early summer of 2024, the market will offer Italian subs; sandwiches; panini; pastas; meatballs; Neapolitan pizza and other items for both takeout and dine-in service. It will also sell cheeses; Italian meats; pasta; oils; vinegars; olives; beer; liquor and Italian wines.
“The Italian market will replace the grocery store,” Mirmiran said in an email message. “This was a conscious decision on our part not to overwhelm the otherwise boutique property with a full-service mid-sized grocery store. The market will be more of a place to stop by and get ingredients to make a dinner, rather than to do grocery shopping, along the lines of the former Village Food Market. Our team felt that going this direction would lead to more regular visits to Cross Keys and a higher probability that people would cross-shop at other stores while there.”
