A popular downtown New Albany bakery will close its doors this spring, with owners citing rising costs and changing family priorities as the primary reasons in making the decision.
Leaven Bakery & Bistro announced the closure Sunday in a detailed post shared on Facebook, confirming that its East Market Street location will cease operations later this spring. An official closing date has not yet been announced.
“There is no sugarcoating it — Leaven Bakery & Bistro will be closing our doors this spring,” the post read. “Our lease is up, and honestly, the timing lined up in a way we couldn’t ignore.”
Owners Zechariah and Kimberly Maxey launched Leaven as a home-based bakery during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, turning furloughs from their restaurant jobs into a growing online business. Zechariah previously worked as a sous chef at Jack Fry’s in Louisville, while Kimberly handled pastries at The Brown Hotel. Their early success eventually led to the opening of a brick-and-mortar storefront in downtown New Albany in 2021.
While the bakery remained consistently busy, the Maxeys said increasing expenses made long-term sustainability difficult.
“Being busy doesn’t always mean staying afloat,” the post continued. “The cost of everything has gone up — ingredients, utilities, labor, insurance — all of it. We don’t feel right having to charge $20 for a breakfast sandwich just to keep the doors open.”
The owners noted they had been searching for a larger location since November 2024, but determined that expanding did not make financial sense in the current climate. With their lease ending and a growing family, they decided it was time to step back.
“With our growing family, we simply can’t run Leaven by ourselves anymore, and it’s time to take a step back and reset,” the Maxeys wrote.
In their announcement, the owners also highlighted the broader challenges facing the restaurant industry, noting that dozens of restaurants have closed in the past year alone. They said announcing the closure months in advance was intentional, allowing customers time to visit, support the business, and say goodbye.
The Maxeys said the bakery’s space will soon be available for lease, and that its equipment will be sold as a complete package to a future tenant, creating a potential turnkey opportunity. Those interested in equipment details can contact bakeryleaven@gmail.com.
While the brick-and-mortar location is closing, Leaven Bakery & Bistro will continue to host pop-up events around the city, with more details to be shared in the coming months.
“This isn’t goodbye forever,” the post concluded. “For now, we’re choosing to take a breath, reset, and focus on our son.”