Grahams 318 bakers find new home at Corner Grind in Elburn

Since joining the Corner Grind crew in April, bakers Molly Fraser and Austin Dabbert have revamped the entire selection of baked goods offered at the coffee shop in downtown Elburn.

The Corner Grind did not previously have bakers on staff. The limited baked goods it offered were prepared by its baristas, so Fraser and Dabbert have had free rein of the pastry shelves and have brought new life to the coffee shop’s menu.

Fraser, from Aurora, and Dabbert, from Wheaton, were brought on after the closing of Grahams 318 in Geneva, where they had worked together for three years.

Pretty much all of the baked goods offered at Corner Grind are new items or improved recipes created by Fraser and Dabbert. Highlights of the new menu include homemade pop-tarts, which they had been serving at Grahams 318, sweet and savory scones, banana bread and a variety of cookies.

The bakers also are excited to begin offering custom items for catering and special events, which they did a lot of at Grahams 318. Customers now can order handmade cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pies and other pastries decorated and personalized however they like.

The pastry menu items will rotate flavors and change seasonally. The shop also is looking to introduce new vegan and gluten-free options.

Fraser began baking in college while studying food, and worked at Molly’s Cupcakes after college and before Grahams. Dabbert said he has been baking since he was a little kid with his grandmother, who had her own bakery.

“It really seemed like a place where we could make it our own, so we’re really excited by the opportunity,” Fraser said “We decided to kind of take it and run with it.”

Corner Grind owner Luke Goucher and Nicole Bergner, director of operations for Illinois Crafted hospitality group, said the new bakers already have drastically improved the coffee shop’s selection.

Goucher said he has long been friends with the owner of Grahams 318, who reached out before closing to try and find work for their staff who were going to be displaced.

“We’re always happy to have new and exciting additions,” Goucher said. “It’s been a good opportunity for advancement and to ramp up our baked goods with the help of these folks.”

Bergner said with the lack of a baking department and baristas struggling to keep up with the demand for pastries, the opportunity to bring on two experienced bakers and revamp the shop’s offerings felt like a no-brainer.

“Already in the short time they’ve been here, they’ve turned the baking program around 180 degrees,” Bergner said. “Our bakery case never looked this full. Now, we have people that are actively coming in for the baked goods, and it’s a lot more consistent.”

“We were being gritty and resourceful and doing the best we could with what we had, but now we can really focus on (the bakery) and make it a bright and shining component of the business,” Goucher said.

Fraser and Dabbert said they jumped at the offer to join the Corner Grind staff because it seemed like a place they could make their own.

Fraser said the smaller operation gives them the freedom to do more of what they want and create their own recipes. Dabbert said the small-town style of Corner Grind immediately felt homey.

“It was just a natural fit for both of us,” Dabbert said. “It was great that the staff was open to taking both of us on and it’s been a smooth transition overall.”

After three years of working together, Dabbert and Fraser said they knew how each other works and knew they would work well together. While the size of the shop and volume of work was a drastic change, the bakers said making the move together has made the transition easier.

“It’s nice having a familiar face,” Fraser said.