Pairing a bit of nostalgia with the playfully strange, yet somehow keeping it cohesive is always my ultimate design goal. When presented with this blank canvas, we pledged to take extra care with every facet of the space and tried to bring little bits of magic into the experience.
What has been the most rewarding part about owning Rainbow? For us, the ultimate compliment is when someone considers Rainbow to be their “special place.” Whatever that might mean to them. There are little kids who call Rainbow Bakery their favorite place to go. We’ve had people tell us “this is the only place I can get any writing done.” Many of our customers have been coming weekly (or more often) basically since we’ve opened.
Often times that translated into seeking out and repurposing mid-century goods because they’re the only inanimate objects I’ve known to elicit warm joy. That method of styling definitely shines through in the baked goods, too: spin the classics and keep it familiar, but add something unknown and probably a pop of color.
We tried to create a space that was comfortable to be in for all types of people. Kids and grad students. Introverts and chatty socialites. Of course the baked goods are central to the Rainbow Bakery experience, but when it goes beyond a simple transaction, that’s when we feel like we did something right.
It’s very apparent that you two are very proud of Bloomington, Indiana, with monthly local artist showcases and local celebrity cat portraits lining your walls. Why Bloomington for your bakery?
Which treat do you recommend for the firsttime customer? Do you have a favorite? What is the most popular baked good you have?
Yeah, Bloomington is pretty great. Neither of us are from Indiana, but we ended up here after finding kinship and inspiration in the punk scene many years ago. We made connections here and feel most at home in the Midwest, and have settled here for the time being. Besides planting roots, the bakery was born here to fill a void ... believe it or not, we were the first allvegan business in this little granola town!
Folks tend to gravitate towards the donuts, so I’d say that’s a good starting point for anyone new to our fare. Our donuts are baked, not fried, and made from ingredients that won’t leave you feeling terrible after eating them (in moderation, of course). Plus, we make eight different flavors everyday that range from comfortably classic to adventurously inventive, so there’s something for every palette. Besides the donuts, people really freak out over our gluten-free oatmeal cream pies.
What kinds of challenges come with running a bakery? Oh man. Everything. Can I say everything? Everything. The biggest challenge is working harder than you ever thought you could work for longer than you ever thought you could work and only having yourself to answer to.
Matt’s favorite, without hesitation, is the maple bacon donut. I have a harder time picking favorites because I really do love them all. Between you and me, the lavender cake is my baby. Floral forever!
Second biggest challenge is not eating all the sweets.
Rainbow Bakery | 201 S Rogers St, Bloomington, IN 47404 | rainbowbakery.net 36