Guru’s Cafe knocked down a wall, and added on a sister restaurant. Enliten Bakery and Cafe is the newest addition to a canon of restaurants for Provo that offers fast, fresh food.
Enliten is located in downtown Provo along Center Street, where Dean Judd, general manager of Guru’s and Enliten, wants to offer more options for the working men and women for their lunch.
“We can offer them something else as good as Guru’s, but a completely different menu,” Judd said. “Hopefully they feel like they can eat at Guru’s once or twice a week, and Enliten once or twice.”
Judd said he hopes the quality and freshness of food will stand out to those who eat at Enliten.
Although there is a significant number of coffee drinkers in the valley, Judd explained the new restaurant will devote only a small portion to the drink. He continued saying the bakery comes first with a wide variety of baked goods, hot and cold sandwiches, breakfast items and other drinks besides coffee.
“Everything made here is from scratch,” said Judd. Bakers come at three in the morning and they bake their bread the same day it is delivered. Their turkey is roasted in the same day it is delivered as well.
“I got here at three this morning to start baking,” said Jimmy Schofield, one of Enliten’s chief bakers.
Schofield, who holds a degree in culinary arts, came from Portland and worked at a pastry shop at Intel before he came to Enliten. The opportunity to start from the bottom up in a new business drew him to the bakery and cafe.
“All that behind-the-scenes stuff, getting permits and equipment, it was great fun and a learning experience that it is much more than just baking,” Schofield said.
Banana bread, Schofield’s grandmother’s recipe, is one of the baked goods offered. “It’s always been a favorite, and Enliten’s great work environment offers me the opportunity to share it,” Schofield said.
Guru’s is helping the local economy by trying to get their ingredients locally.
“We’re trying to bring in fresh produce from the local farms. We just want to keep it fresh,” said Ashley McPherson, another chief baker and chef for the cafe.
Guru’s offers healthy foods for a health-minded college campus; Enliten hopes to do the same as they move forward.
“That’s the thing we’ll push towards as we get our feet under us and get going,” Judd said. “We’re going to figure out how to reach that the right way and we look forward to rising and meeting the challenge.”
