Fenders Photography
Tina Cromwell
December 15, 2023
Friday Food Insider: Bam Bam Bakery is being reborn in a new space
Courtesy / Malone Commercial Brokers
Bam Bam Bakery leased 1,961 square feet of retail space at 125 Bucknam Road in Falmouth. Here is a rendering of what Bam Bam Bakery's sign will look like once renovations are complete.
Maybe our holiday wishes have come true because, after a year-long absence, gluten-free Bam Bam Bakery is reopening its doors in a new, unique location.
Bam Bam leased 1,961 square feet of retail space that was the former Ela Market & Grill at 125 Bucknam Road in Falmouth. Mike Anderson of Malone Commercial Brokers brokered the transaction.
Owner Tina Cromwell hopes to open in mid-January, though permitting and licensing process will determine the timeline.
Bam Bam’s new site will sell a variety of customer favorites including cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, cupcakes, bagels and honey oat bread, as well as chicken pot pie, pizza and sandwiches. All the bakery’s products are gluten-free and about 90% of them are also dairy-free.
“Bam Bam is a niche product. Gluten-free and dairy-free got a bad rap when it first started in the food market,” said Cromwell.
“There were so many horrible versions of baked goods that people would rather go without than eat something that just wasn't pleasant. The gluten-free market has grown every year since I started. The global market is predicted to double in the next 10 years.”
Cromwell told Mainebiz that her new bakery space had been vacant for two years and she and her team have been busy getting the systems back up and running.
She’s very happy to have found a location to restart Bam Bam in Falmouth, where she grew up and raised her kids.
“Its location provides easy access from U.S. Route 1, the turnpike and I-295,” said Cromwell. “There's parking. It is in a neighborhood setting but it's also in a community that I'm very much a part of and have been since I was a kid. I am very pleased that I was able to find this home for Bam Bam right in my hometown.”
About the bakery
Bam Bam has been on a rollercoaster for the past few years. Cromwell purchased the business in 2017 and steadily increased sales. Until 2020, the bakery did business on Commercial Street in Portland. During that time it became a staple for the gluten-free community.
Courtesy / Tina Cromwell
Pictured are some menu items that will be offered at the new Bam Bam location.
Cromwell said the space on Commercial Street was beautiful but very limited in production capacity. In 2019 she planned to open a production kitchen, away from Commercial Street, allowing for more wholesale and retail business and hopefully some product shipping.
But the pandemic put a hard stop to those plans. Eventually, unable to pay the $7,000 monthly rent on the space, Cromwell made a difficult decision to close her bakery doors in 2020.
Since then, she has tried a bunch of different versions of the store, including selling via pre-orders and scheduled pickups. A storefront with mostly wholesale and very limited hours. Some staff. No staff. More staff. It eventually became clear that Bam Bam needed to be back in a larger space.
“Bam Bam makes tasty gluten-free food,” said Cromwell. “We won't serve it unless we eat it. I cannot seem to get croissants down ... you won't be seeing those on the menu anytime soon.”
What is your go-to gluten-free bakery item? The Mainebiz Food Insider wants to know! Contact Alexis Wells at awells@mainebiz.biz.
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments