When Kingston Bread + Bar first opened its doors on North Front Street in early 2020, its founders envisioned an all-day community hub: a bakery, restaurant, and bar where neighbors could come for breakfast, linger over lunch, and return for snacks and cocktails in the evening. That vision never fully materialized, thanks to the pandemic, which hit just weeks after opening. The space became synonymous with bread, pastries, and quick to-go service—but the original dream was always larger.
Now, five years later, KBB is stepping into a new era. The beloved bakery and cafe has moved into a freshly renovated space on Broadway, in the former home of PAKT, bringing with it a bigger kitchen, fixed all-week menus, a liquor license, and a renewed focus on creating the kind of warm, all-day gathering spot owner Aaron Quint and his team had imagined from the start.
“Our lease was up on North Front Street at the beginning of the year,” says Quint, who co-owns the business with Amanda and Anthony Stromoski of Rough Draft. “That space wasn’t really working for what we really wanted to do. So we started looking all around Kingston, saw a bunch of buildings, and when some friends introduced us to Casey Fussner, our new landlord, we were immediately excited about the prospect of what we could do with this space. Casey had interviewed a lot of potential tenants and really wanted someone in here who would activate the space, more than an office or a shop only open on weekends.”
The decision to take over the old PAKT location wasn’t just about logistics—it was about possibility. “We loved PAKT. We were frequent visitors for brunch before the pandemic,” Quint explains. “We knew it was a great space and great location for the neighborhood. We were always sad no one had done anything with it once PAKT closed. So when we saw this space, it just seemed right.”
But getting the building from where it was to where it needed to be to safely and smoothly operate was a long process that included structural building repairs and upgrades. “Initially, when we looked at the end of 2024, Casey and his team had already ripped out a bunch of stuff. The floors hadn’t been touched or the walls, but the bar and a bunch of kitchen had already been partially demolished,” Quint says. “We didn’t get to our part of building out space until June or July. So if you think that way, the reno was actually pretty fast. Unlike old space, where we sort of moved in and did as little as possible, here we were really able to make our own design from scratch.”
The result is a space that feels both fresh and familiar: tin ceilings, hardwood floors, and exposed brick walls have been lovingly restored, while warm tones and custom tables, bar, and benches by Anthony Shepherd, a local craftsman, bring a modern comfort. “When we first walked in, the space just had all the things we love about Kingston’s old buildings, so step one was preserving those things,” Quint says. “Our focus was to take advantage of the beautiful light we get and make it a warm and inviting place. ”
The kitchen expansion means changes for the menu, too, which is now consistent all week long. “We used to only do pancakes on Sunday—now we’re doing them every day,” Quint says. “The bagels and bagel sandwiches are also available daily, and the weekday subs are available on weekends.” The menu has also incorporated new items like a fried chicken and a tofu sub. “We didn’t have a long time to test, so it’s going to be a fun couple of weeks of tweaking and improving,” Quint says.
The new spot has a liquor license, acquired last week, and the spot will have four taps, plus wine, cider, and cocktails. “Hopefully by this weekend we’ll have our first keg,” says Quint. “We’ll have beers on draft, cans in the fridge, wine, and brunch cocktails like Bloody Marys and mimosas. We loved PAKT and we’re obviously not the same restaurant, but we want to capture that familiar feeling.”
The new space also makes Kingston Bread + Bar a natural companion to Midtown’s humming cultural and culinary scene. Located across from UPAC and in the heart of a lively stretch of Broadway, the spot is already imagining collaborations. “I love Midtown,” Quint says. “I had already been spending most of my time in this four-block radius between Tubby’s, Ollie’s, West Kill, and Little Rye. So it feels really good to be here and walk down the block and see all the folks. And being right across from UPAC, we’re excited to take advantage of events they have in the future.”
For now, Kingston Bread + Bar is sticking to counter service during the day, with plenty more tables than before. But Quint hints at more to come. “We would like to be open in the evening, at least on special occasions,” he says. “We’re still figuring out how to make that work. If the demand is there, we’ll do it more permanently, but we’ll definitely have some special events coming soon.”
Despite the challenges and delays of a gut renovation and a move, KBB is settling in and already off to a roaring start. “Obviously there are little bumps and stops and starts, but overall really smooth,” Quint says. “Yesterday, which was our second day of real operation, it already felt like a restaurant that had been here for a while. It feels warm and people feel comfortable from the get-go—that’s the thing we’re proudest about.”
