Press ReleaseZod, LLC, doing business as Jackie O’s in Athens announced today the expansion of its baked goods product line with the creation of Jackie O’s Bakeshop. Company officials said the new bakeshop will be located on East Stimson Avenue near the Jackie O’s Brewery.
“We are excited to further expand our baked goods offering to our customers through the planned opening of a stand-alone Jackie O’s Bakeshop,” said Art Oestrike, President of Jackie O’s. “We have been baking from the Public House Restaurant kitchen since 2009 and this expansion into 5,000 square foot of new space will include a 3,000 square foot baking kitchen with room to expand and a 1,000 square foot walk-in retail area.” Jackie O’s breads and desserts will continue to be available at the company’s Public House Restaurant, Uptown Brewpub and Taproom.
Jackie O’s Bakeshop products have been popular at the local level for years and the kitchen expansion will allow the company to scale up production and distribute breads and baked goods wholesale to other restaurants and retailers around the state.
The company plans to invest $350,000 in building renovations and upgrades, as well as machinery and equipment purchases. The project was assisted by a JobsOhio $25,000 Inclusion Grant obtained through JobsOhio’s regional partner Ohio Southeast. The grant will be applied to the cost of kitchen equipment, including ovens, a dough sheeter, a vent hood and a walk-in cooler. The addition of the Jackie O’s Bakeshop is projected to create four new full-time jobs.
The JobsOhio Inclusion Grant is open to businesses located within distressed census tracts or businesses with majority owners who are veterans, disabled or and underrepresented race or gender. Applicants must be within the following targeted areas: advanced manufacturing, aerospace/aviation, automotive, energy/chemicals, financial services, healthcare, agribusiness, logistics/distribution and technology.
“The entrepreneurial success of Jackie O’s continues to build, creating more value-added products and economic growth in the region, and we are pleased to help support that growth,” said OhioSoutheast President Mike Jacoby. This time last year, Jackie O’s graduated from the London Stock Exchange ELITE program to accelerate business growth, and they recently announced an expansion into Columbus. “It’s a truly impressive company,” said Jacoby.
The Athens County Economic Development Council (ACEDC) also assisted in the grant application process. “Jackie O’s continues to be an Athens County success story and we are grateful for the support this project received from the Inclusion Grant, which is providing access to funding for our smaller and mid-sized companies,” said ACEDC Executive Director Mollie Fitzgerald.