Zeppole Baking Co.’s downtown Boise cafe has reopened its doors, much to the delight of its loyal patrons. Following a temporary closure last September, initially reported by BoiseDev, the cafe on 8th Street near Bannock Street is once again welcoming customers.
Owner Charles Alpers cited a shortage of staff as the reason for the temporary closure, though the Zeppole location on Apple Street in east Boise remained operational. Alpers shared with BoiseDev last Fall the necessity to close the downtown venue due to insufficient personnel.
In an update, Alpers revealed that after a concerted effort to recruit and train new employees over the past few months, the downtown location is now back in business. “In late January, we started recruiting for the Downtown Cafe, hired the staff, and had them train at our larger Apple Street Cafe,” Alpers explained. “This week was the most opportune time to reopen after the new staff was fully trained and the cafe was thoroughly cleaned in preparation for our reopening.”
Alpers and his wife acquired Zeppole in May 2006, continuing its tradition of crafting fresh pastries, bread, breakfast, and lunch items since its inception in 1993.
It’s worth noting that all baking for both the downtown and Apple Street cafes takes place at Zeppole’s 7,000-square-foot facility off McGregor Drive near Federal Way.