More on Pluma by Bluebird Bakery coming to Union Market Area early Summer

renderings courtesy GTM Architects

From a press release:

“GTM Architects, an award-winning residential and commercial architectural firm, recently announced its work on the design of Pluma by Bluebird Bakery located at The Edison, an upscale, urban industrial mixed-use building at 391 Morse Street, NW, Washington, DC. Owners Tom Wellings and Camila Arango worked with Clare Marino and Katlin Pless of GTM Architects on a design that embraces the hip vibe of the new building, while also capturing the culture and quality Bluebird Bakery is known for.

Slated to open in early summer, Pluma by Bluebird Bakery, a brand new café concept, is located within the 28,000-square-feet ground level retail space in the 178-unit apartment complex. With a mix of imported, handmade Colombian tile, as a homage to Arango, rustic wall panels, Lambert & Fils pendants first scouted on Pinterest and varying shades of blue, GTM incorporated all elements of design on the owners’ wish lists, as well as well-executed form and function into the new bakery.

“When working with retail owners, it’s always important to hear what their goals are for the space as well as what colors, finishes and styles they are looking for,” Marino says. “In this case, Camila had a clear vision of incorporating her culture into the design, which complements the industrial feel of the building.”

Seasonality via local produce will play a part in the menu, says Arango, but they will also stay true to their brand and carry all their well-known favorites such as kouign-amann, a French cake. As for the name, Pluma means feathers in Spanish and is an expansion on the owners’ Bluebird Bakery brand, a wholesale distributor of baked goods and coffee to 13 coffee shops in the DC region, including the neighboring Union Market.

“We want visitors to our shop to think of it as a comfortable third space, where they routinely go after home and work,” Arango said. “We want them to enjoy spending time there and with the help of GTM, we accomplished our design goal.”

Wellings and Arango, who have worked as pastry chefs in New York, Washington, DC and Tyson’s Corner, where they baked side-by-side at Maestro at The Ritz-Carlton, are looking forward to opening the new café that offers communal tables, benches at windows and patio space to enjoy Pluma’s all-day menu, which includes baked goods, sandwiches and salads. More info at www.plumabyblubird.com.”