Flour Bakery & Cafe, the beloved local bakery chain, is set to open its 10th location in Boston Common this April.
Award-winning restaurateur Joanne Chang made a striking observation upon entering the Boston Common concession pavilion, where the new location will reside.
She was immediately captivated by the Embrace statue, which is framed perfectly within the walk-up café’s main ordering window.
Chang promptly sent a picture to Stephen Jones, the executive pastry chef of Flour, and they began brainstorming ideas for a tribute to the statue for the café’s menu.
The Embrace morning bun was born from this collaboration, and it is just one of several unique, new menu items that will be exclusive to Flour Boston Common.
These new offerings reflect a sense of place, with items like whimsical soft-serve ice cream and a fully loaded hot dog among the anticipated treats.
The new Flour location is housed in an octagonal, 600-square-foot structure that provides no indoor customer access, making it unique compared to other outposts in the chain.
Despite its quirks, Flour Boston Common will boast over 40 seats outside and a basement prep kitchen staffed with 11 employees.
To adapt to the café’s layout, the Flour team has streamlined its popular menu.
Customers will still be able to enjoy top-selling items such as breakfast pastries, sweets, sandwiches, salads, pizza, and drinks, as well as a daily selection of specials.
Operating hours will begin from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with plans to adjust the schedule seasonally to align with sunset times.
Chang expressed hope that the location would gain enough popularity to remain open year-round, with ideas for winter hot chocolate specials to complement skating at Frog Pond.
Chang emphasized the lack of food options in the park, with only a couple of pushcarts, making the new Flour location a much-needed addition.
She sees it as a celebration of Boston, with food offerings that reflect the spirit of the city.
Among the exclusive menu items set to entice locals and visitors alike this spring is the Embrace morning bun.
This delectable pastry features tender babka, braided to resemble the shapes of the nearby monument to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Coretta Scott King.
The sweet, yeasted dough is layered with rich brown butter and a blend of chai-inspired spices—freshly ground cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger, black pepper, and crushed cacao.
The finished babka is rolled in the same spice mix to provide an exterior crunch that will delight customers.
“This is an entirely new pastry we’ve created after quite some time,” Chang said.
In addition to the morning bun, the café will be introducing a new soft-serve ice cream offering.
Chang and her husband Christopher Myers are known regulars at the Original Boston Frosty, an ice cream truck that operates nearby during the warmer months.
Chang has always cherished ice cream and expressed her excitement about the walk-up window, allowing her to finally bring scratch-made ice cream to the historic park.
The offerings will initially include vanilla bean, strawberry, and a twist of both flavors, with house-made toppings such as chocolate and raspberry dips, sprinkles, and crispy sticky bun crumbs.
Also featured are warm sticky buns that will be freshly baked throughout the day, offering a tempting aroma for passersby.
While all Flour Bakery locations are happy to heat up pastries upon customer request, this location aims to have freshly baked sticky buns available at all times.
The Flour dog will also make its debut in the lunch lineup, served on house-baked milk buns, creating a new hot dog experience for hungry patrons.
Chang recalls that conversations about favorite park foods led to the development of the Flour dog, available to order as desired or made “the works,” complete with baked-bean-and-ground-beef chili, sweet and sour relish, chopped onions, and celery salt.
Chang notes that even with a limited menu at this location, it will still feel like there is a wide variety to choose from.
“We have this beautiful, iconic, public park, and there are no food options other than a couple of pushcarts,” she stated.
Flour Boston Common is anticipated to elevate the culinary landscape of this historic park, bringing a new sense of community and celebration to the heart of Boston.
image source from：https://www.bostonmagazine.com/restaurants/2025/04/11/flour-bakery-boston-common/
