Boerne Bound

Favorite San Antonio bakery heads for the hills with first Boerne location

San Antonio's Bakery Lorraine is bringing its award-winning baked goods to Boerne.

Courtesy of Bakery Lorraine

One of Alamo City's best bakeries, and perhaps one of its most famous, is heading for the Hill Country. Bakery Lorraine recently announced its newest location coming to Boerne in October 2022.

Featuring the bakery's full menu — macarons, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and more — Boerne residents and Hill Country visitors will find the new location at 134 Oak Park Dr. An official opening date will be announced closer to the time.

Owned by chefs Anne Ng, Jeremy Mandrell, and operator Charlie Biedenharn, the bakery celebrated 10 years in San Antonio in 2021 and its future looks bright: The company has four locations in Alamo City, including one in the Historic Pearl district, one in the Medical Center, one in the RIM shopping center, and one inside the The DoSeum. This new Hill Country location will be its second outside San Antonio, with an Austin outpost at the Domain Northside.

“We are very excited to be opening up shop in Boerne,” said chef and owner Anne Ng. “Boerne feels like a natural fit for Bakery Lorraine and we’re looking forward to becoming part of the community.”

Ng and partner Jeremy Mandrell met while baking at Thomas Keller’s world-famous Bouchon Bakery in Napa Valley, moving to San Antonio in 2010. Since establishing Bakery Lorraine in 2011, the pair have garnered national attention from the likes of Food & Wine magazine (best new bakeries), Condé Nast Traveler (13 destination bakeries), and Southern Living (the South's Best Bakeries, 2022).

In addition to the bakery's iconic, colorful Parisian macarons and divine pastries, the Boerne location will also feature breakfast items, including the breakfast parfait, the quiche Lorraine, and breakfast sandwiches. A variety of savory lunch dishes, including an assortment of salads, soups, and artisan sandwiches, will provide plenty of reasons to stop by well past the morning pastry craving.

For more information on Bakery Lorraine visit bakerylorraine.com.

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BREW BLUES

Acclaimed brewery taps out of San Antonio after 11 years

Busted Sandal Brewing Company/Facebook

Busted Sandal is closing all three of its locations.

Nationwide, the gusty tradewinds of the craft brewing industry have capsized several industry leaders. In San Antonio, it has been a hurricane. Less than a month after revered beermaker Weathered Souls shuttered, Busted Sandal Brewing has written its own epitaph. The closure affects all three locations.

The team shared the news in an October 2 social media post. Although the statement didn’t dig deeply into the reasoning, it cited economic pressures, including its customers' ability to pay for “housing, food, and day-to-day life.”

“We do not close Busted Sandal with immense regret, but rather with a great sense of pride, holding our heads high knowing we made great beer and created a fun place for our Sandal family,” wrote a representative.

Busted Sandal opened its first outpost in San Antonio in 2013, largely committed to lighter beer styles like Mexican lagers and hefeweizens. In early 2020, the company expanded to a beer garden in Helotes. Its newest location in Kerrville has only been open since July 2023.

The economy had undoubtedly been unfriendly to breweries. According to a 2023 study by the national trade group Brewer’s Association, the industry has been burdened by rising costs in almost every production area. At the same time, climate change has reduced crop yields, and changes in drinking preferences have damaged sales.

The market forces are definitely felt in the Alamo City area. In addition to Weathered Souls’ passing, Barrelman Brewing Co., Boerne Brewery, Kinematic Brewing Co., and Second Pitch Beer Co. have all shuttered in recent months. Alamo Beer owner Eugene Simor has placed his East Side property for sale, and Black Laboratory has traded beer for seltzers.

The last day of business for Busted Sandal’s San Antonio location will be October 12, followed by November 3 and 10 for Helotes and Kerrville, respectively.

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