Recess is in session
New bakery and coffee shop gets playful on Black Mountain Avenue
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
February 28, 2024
Harrison and Lexi Jones place fresh-baked goods in the display case, Feb. 26, as Recess Coffee & Baked Goods hosts a soft opening. The Black Mountain Avenue business will celebrate its grand opening, Feb. 29. Photo by Fred McCormick
An air of nostalgia complemented the aroma of fresh-baked sourdough bread, croissants and roasted coffee brews and blends, Feb. 26, as Recess Coffee and Baked Goods welcomed dozens of customers to a soft opening and ribbon cutting, hosted by the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce.
The new business, which will celebrate its grand opening at 107 Black Mountain Avenue, from 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 29, is bringing a playful atmosphere to the location.
“We both love to play,” said Harrison, a native Waynesville and former manager of the Pure & Proper. “There’s something about being on the playground as a kid when you see any obstacle or challenge and view it with curiosity. It’s that joyous ‘school’s out’ feeling that brings people together.”
That concept is reflected in the theme of the indoor and outdoor space, which includes wooden bleacher seats, maps, banners, lockers and other schoolhouse memorabilia.
“Black Mountain is a melting pot of generations,” Harrison said. “I think nostalgia is something that people come together around. Gen Z and millennials are really into listening to record players and thrifting, while older generations like to reflect on what things were like when they grew up. We really just want the design to spark conversations.”
While the old school concept catches the eye, the menu offerings from Recess appeal to visitors’ senses of smell and taste.
“We will always have sourdough bread and croissants, because those are what we focus on. Right now we have a dark chocolate cherry sourdough loaf, a seeded loaf, a country loaf,” Harrison said. “But, we’ll do specialties because we’re creative. We love being able to offer things we’ve been curious about and have played with. For example, I’m working on a macha and vanilla bean croissant, so we plan to roll some new specials every month.”
The variety of flavors are accompanied by nitro cold brews, pour overs and espressos made from Colorado-based Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters.
“They release around 60 coffees every year because they roast seasonally,” Harrison said. “As soon as there is a harvest of coffee in Ethiopia or Columbia or Peru, which is where the one we’re carrying right now comes from, the coffee is on a plane to them and right on our shelves. They really tap into the aromatics of fresh green coffee, and we want to appeal to those who want something fruity and floral and to those who prefer something that is more bitter, chocolate and nutty.”
Recess Coffee and Baked Goods owners Harrison and Lexi Jones celebrate a ribbon cutting, Feb. 26, with Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce Director Melinda Hester. Photo by Fred McCormick
The location, next to Foothills Butcher Shop, adds to the small town charm of Black Mountain Avenue, the town’s original main street.
“It feels like going back in time, where you can stop in grab your bread and your meats right before making a meal,” Harrison said. “Our sourdough is healthy, and we source our flour and milk locally. Our milk is actually A2 milk, so most people who are lactose intolerant can drink it, and it’s minimally homogenized.”
The couple, who met when Lexi was the flight attendant on Harrison’s trip to her native Minnesota, previously operated a bakery in Nepal.
“At the time, I was doing anti-human trafficking work through restaurants, training people who rescued from or were vulnerable to trafficking,” Harrison said. “Once we got married, Lexi and I did the same thing and opened a bakery there.”
They were interested in establishing a bakery and coffee shop in Black Mountain that could become a community hub for all generations, according to the owner, when they learned the space was available.
“At first, Lexi was like, ‘no way, it’s not possible,’” Harrison said. “But, we knew this was something we wanted to spend our lives doing, so why wait? We built a business plan, talked to investors and made it happen.”
Lexi Jones prepares for the Feb. 29 grand opening of Recess Coffee and Baked Goods, which specializes in sourdough bread, croissants and roasted coffee. Photo by Fred McCormick
The new business will play a key role in the continued revitalization of Black Mountain Avenue, chamber director Melinda Hester said.
“We want to drive traffic down here for all the great businesses on this road,” she said. “Having a new bakery that is working to become a hub for the community where people can enjoy delicious baked goods and coffee will help with that.”
The owners are eager to share the space with the public, according to Harrison.
“We want to build bridges and create community by celebrating the people who come through the door,” he said. “This place has so many fascinating people with great stories to tell, and we want to share this space with them. We can’t wait to make new friends and get to know the people here.”