photo by: Chad Lawhorn

A new French-style bakery, called E Barn Farm Bakery, is set to open in the former Sandbar sub location at Eighth and New Hampshire streets by the end of this month.

The only bad thing about butter is it doesn’t come with its own lollypop stick. If you are that type of butter lover, you’ll want to take note of a soon-to-open downtown bakery that promises lots of rich European creations.

E Barn Farm Bakery is set to open in the former Sandbar sub location at Eighth and New Hampshire streets by the end of the month. Owner Samantha Elmer thinks the shop will have a European flavor to it that is more intense than other bakeries in the area.

“There are going to be some really rich dishes,” she said.

Take her croissants, for example. She spends three days making them, thanks to the amount of butter that is used.

“Add butter, roll, let it rest. Add butter, roll, let it rest. Add butter, roll, let it rest,” she said of the process.

(To be fair, it takes me three days to make croissants too, but most of that is trying to figure out how to open the Pillsbury can.)

Elmer who lived in various parts of Europe for about six years during her 20s, said she’s a classically trained pastry baker. Croissants, of course, are a given for a French-style bakery, but she plans to have several other creations. The bakery will have about 30 varieties of macarons, a French meringue-based cookie. Cakes, scones and fresh fruit pastries also will be regular items.

Elmer, though, plans to tap into the downtown lunch market with several savory grab-n-go items. Quiches will be a big part of the lunch menu. The store’s signature quiche will have five cheeses, portobello mushrooms, bacon, leeks and garlic. Also on the menu will be some pasties — a flaky crust stuffed with fillings like chicken, tarragon and leeks — and a ficelle sandwich with various salamis, cheeses and cream spreads. A ficelle is a thin baguette.

On the drink side, Elmer will have a full espresso bar, Italian sodas, teas and other coffees.

The shop plans to be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and until 8 p.m. on Saturdays.

Elmer has past professional baking experience, she said. Most recently she has been selling her baked goods at the Clinton Parkway Farmers’ Market. She said several customers there had urged her to open a shop somewhere. The downtown location on New Hampshire Street — it shares space with a branch of Bank Midwest — made a lot of sense with the area’s foot traffic and employees looking for a quick grab-and-go lunch, she said.

“I just missed being a pastry chef,” she said. “I love watching people’s faces when they try something new. I love that wow moment.”