After 25 years of selling her baked goods at farmers markets in and around Duval County, Maria Ferra is offering her made-from-scratch Mediterranean dishes Downtown.
Ferra and her youngest son, Klodian “John” Ferra, and his wife, Madison, opened the Live Bakery on April 10 at 327 E. Bay St.
The menu features items such as egg and cheese on brioche bread, focaccia bread, Greek salad, pulled pork with onion inside filo dough, Mediterranean spanakopita, vegan pie, pizza, cannoli and puff pastry. Prices range from $2.50 for a cinnamon bun to $19 for a specialty pizza.
Maria Ferra formerly ran Maria’s Bakery at 5770 Florida Mining Blvd. Her eldest son now runs that business.
The Live Bakery shares space with the Live Bar, also owned by the Ferra family. Hours of the bakery and bar don’t overlap, allowing overflow seating between the two. Inside are eight tables, with an average of four seats per table.
The bakery is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday, while the Live Bar is open 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
The Ferra family obtained a Retail Enhancement Grant from the Downtown Investment Authority in December 2016, providing a forgivable loan for improvements that included plumbing, electrical, mechanical and fire safety for both the Live Bar and Live Bakery.
The grant program was designed to recruit and retain restaurant and retail businesses in the Northbank core retail enhancement area.
In a 2017 Daily Record interview, property owner Michael Basford said the bakery was more progress for Downtown.
“The bakery definitely should be something that changes the mix,” he said.
He said the focus on nightlife in the Elbow entertainment district translates into evening activity, while the bakery will generate interest during the day.
