Manifest Bread will open a full-service organic bakery in Riverdale Park’s town center at 6208 Rhode Island Ave., next to the former location of Banana Blossom Bistro, sometime this summer.

Owners Rick and Tyes Cook long planned to turn their popular cottage bakery from a home-based business into a brick-and-mortar shop, looking all around the greater D.C. area before settling on the Route 1 corridor.

They said they decided on Riverdale Park because it is at the center of a neighborhood community, with a nice mix of established families and new young home buyers.

Rick Cook told the Hyattsville Wire that the project was put on hold before the coronavirus pandemic but they feel the time is now right.

“We are happy to know that the business model can work in a time of struggle, but we’re so excited to see what it can turn into as the industry comes back to life,” he said.

Though it started out selling in D.C. neighborhoods like Cleveland Park and at local restaurants, Manifest has built a strong local following through word of mouth, Instagram and partnering with Brentwood’s Material Things studio for events. They plan more pop-ups in Hyattsville and Riverdale Park before the new shop opens.

The bakery will feature popular items like a sourdough loaf, focaccia and bialy; a regular menu of sandwiches like muffaleta, jambon-beurre and pork rillette; a new selection of pastries, including savory options like pissaladiere; as well as a selection of wine and beer for in-house or take-home.

“Our opening menu will definitely look familiar to those that have been buying from us over the past few years,” Cook told the Wire. “I think the biggest change will be that we will be able to offer some favorites for longer stretches of time.”

The owners have set up a Kickstarter fund to help with the costs of the move.

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