Big changes are coming to the much-loved Farmer x Baker, the shipping-container-turned-cafe that has made its home at the Allegheny RiverTrail Park since 2019.
“I can’t share all the details right now,” says owner Jen Urich, “but we are going to have a new home next season.”
It’s a bittersweet decision for Urich, who says that her hand was forced.
“Six years ago, I built Farmer x Baker,” Urich says. “I designed it, I bootstrapped it. I was the first person to build a commercial kitchen inside a shipping container in our part of Pennsylvania. The Health Department had to build a new code, because it was such a unique way of doing business.”
In those six years, Farmer x Baker has earned loads of acclaim, and a loyal audience who enjoy Urich’s fresh-from-the-farm breakfast and lunch options, like bagel sandwiches (the Veggie Beast is a favorite), salads, and house-made soft serve in seasonal flavors.
But, earlier this month, Urich got a notice from the management at Allegheny RiverTrail Park, the independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that operates the Aspinwall park, that her rent would be increasing to an amount that, Urich says, would make it impossible for her to continue at the space.
“My park contract is expiring in January, and when I got the news about the rent increase, I just knew that I couldn’t afford it,” she says. “I walked out of that meeting, and I didn’t know whether to throw up or to cry. Everything I did for six years, it just felt like it vanished.”
Urich originally wanted to sell her kitchen space to another chef in Pittsburgh to give them the opportunity to make it their own, but, she says, the ARP declined that offer. (Urich owns the shipping container, kitchen, and restaurant furniture, and leases the space from the ARP).
“I really wanted to sell it, because I knew that I couldn’t stay there anymore, and I thought that there were some really interesting options on the table for it to continue to be a beautiful space on the riverfront,” Urich says. “I had everything all lined up, but the park just wouldn’t allow me the option to sell it.”
The only choice she has, Urich says, is to move.
“Per my contract, I have to rip my restaurant out from the premises,” she says. “And, so that’s what I’m going to do now.”
In a statement about the restaurant’s closing, ARP writes: “Six years ago, Farmer x Baker approached ARP with a unique container restaurant idea. It was brought to life by Jen, ARP, the board and the community. While we’re saddened to learn that Farmer x Baker is choosing to move on, we wish them all the best in their next chapter. We’ve decided to use the winter months to thoughtfully evaluate how we can best provide food and beverages to our park guests and the community.”
Urich found another (soon-to-be-revealed) location a few miles down the river, and will be setting up shop there for the 2025 season.
In order to pay for the removal of the shipping container, and moving it to a new space, Urich has just launched a GoFundMe to help defray the costs.
“It’s a huge undertaking, and financially, I can’t do it without help.” she says. “This is what I do, this is how I support my family. I cook, I cater… I love what I make, and I love the community that I created here.”
And, though she’s sad that one chapter is closing, Urich says that she’s excited for what’s to come.
“This has been my dream, and I’ve poured everything I have into it,” she says. “I hope to come back stronger and serve more people at the new location.”
Farmer x Baker will continue to operate at the Allegheny RiverTrail Park for the remainder of the season, which typically runs through the middle of November (depending on the weather).
Follow Farmer x Baker on Instagram for more updates.
Farmer x Baker (285 River Avenue, Aspinwall)
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