How many bakeries do you know in Eugene?

 (By InfoMofo)

Till recent, I have not noticed there are the many bakeries in Eugene. I have complained that there was no good bakery in Eugene for the first few months. Even I saw some breads at the Saturday market, I could never find a store. After living for two years, I have found out bakeries exists and some of them are really good.

Hideaway Bakery 
3377 East Amazon Drive Eugene, OR
Hideaway Bakery use wood-fired oven to bake with recycled wood (wasted wood). In spring and fall, all vegetables and fruits are directly come from their South Eugene firm, and they are organic. They sell breads at the Saturday market and

SweetLife Pastries 
755 Monroe St. Eugene. OR
SweetLife is famous for varieties of delicious cakes. Each cake is not cheap, but it is worthy to spend money. I like its caramel brulee and cheesecake. Not many people know that SweetLife has quiche, danish, and non-sweet baked foods as well.

They also make a decorated cake. I have ordered one raspberry cheesecake with a graduation hat and a diploma on it for my boyfriend.

Eugene City Bakery 
1607 E 19th. Ave Eugene, OR
This bakery is located right next to Prince Puckler’s Ice Cream. The oatmeal raison chocolate chip cookie is the best! Also the multi-grain raison walnut sourdough tastes very good. I call the area around 19th and Agate Street, ” Hungry zone.”

Humble Bagel
2435 Hilyard St. Eugene, OR
Humble Bagel does not own its website, but the place is worthy to visit. They have so many various kinds of bagels and provide seasonal menu as well. After enjoying your bagel and coffee, you can stop by the Sundance market to buy local vegetable and organic products.

Marche Provisions 
296 E 5th Ave. Eugene, OR
The Marche is located in the 5th Public Market. They have unique and fancy small articles and kitchen related things. But my favorite is the bread they sell. It is the closest texture and flavor to the breads I used to have in Japan. The 5th Public Market was used to be a chicken processing plant. You can find something interesting and colorful at the market.

Although these bakeries are definite my favorites. However, as I mentioned It took a long time to find these bakeries, all of them do not have a good advertisement or marketing strategies. Only obvious marketing we can see is that the Humble Bagel places their bagels at the Market of Choice. All of these bakeries need to raise awareness among their audiences. who are parents of UO students and medium-high income families.

I hope my reviews on this post helps to spread the bakeries name.

Viva ☆ Vegetarian’s way to succeed

My diet has changed a lot since I came here, Eugene. Although Eugene is only place I have lived in the U.S. (I have traveled 5, 6 states), I feel more vegetarians or vegans in Eugene comparing to other states. This is one of the most popular and my favorite vegetarian food cart, “Viva! Vegetarian Grill.”

I think this food cart has a good marketing even with a low budget

1. Special goods (“Meat Free” T-shirts, stickers and cookies)
Its goods are very unique. It does not say its name on either T-shirts or cookies, but “Meet Free,” this is a strong word and tells everything they would like to say. Also the design is interesting. It is lik a dear crossing road sign with a pig. Colors are green and yellow which represent Eugene, specifically the Uof O. It is well targeting on Eugene residents.
If you are interested in its T-shirts, you can visit its Etsy site (Click links above). You can get a sticker at the cart!

2. Saturday market, Street fair, any kind of Lane community food festival
Viva Vegetarian Grill is always there if there is any food related event. It is important for a local business to show up as many place as it can and have the people remember the name. Saturday market is a good place to obtain new customers and represent Eugene-like food.

3. .50 discount when you arrive on a bicycle, you show a Student ID and it is raining. 
Majority of Eugene residents use a bike everyday, are students. And of course, it rains often. The customers can more likely have discounts. This makes its customers think that the Viva Vegetarian Grill cares about its customers. This is important for Viva Vegetarian Grill to gain a trust among the locals.

And its flavor is great. Even if you are a meat eater, you cannot tell if it is made of Tofu unless someone tells you.
Viva Vegetarian Grill is on 12th and Willamette Street. If you have a chance to visit Eugene, or live in Eugene, this is a worth place to visit.

Ice Cream+ President Obama+ UofO

Obama’s Ice cream, that’s how the International students called.

Prince Puckler’s Gourmet Ice Cream, few blocks from the University of Oregon, is one of the best ice cream shop in Eugene. It has been chosen for a best ice cream in Eugene in local newspaper survey, as well as other magazines, such as SKY(Delta Airline Magazine) and Sunset Magazine, picked it up for the place to visit.

(By Schmuelick)

1. One of the biggest advertisement for it is the Barack and Michelle Obama’s visit in 2008.

  
(By Oregonianphoto)

2. Also, A cafe in the University of Oregon, Fishbowl, provides its ice creams and root beer float all year. Since Prince Puckler is a little far from the main part of the campus, it helps to promote Prince Puckler.

3. Another reason of Prince Puckler’s popularity is its location. It is on 19th and Agate, which is not really convenient for college students, but There are several popular restaurant around the store. McMenamins, Beppe and Giannis Trattoria, and Eugene City Bakery. All restaurants and bakery are famous and popular, Prince Puckler’s ice cream can be a good dessert after a meal.
Prince Puckler’s ice cream established its position as a fancy dessert place as well as nice summer time break place.

Since it is on the opposite side from Eugene downtown area and the main street of UofO, I would suggest Prince Puckler can expand its business by providing its ice cream stand or food cart by the main campus entrance and somewhere in the downtown, as well as at the Saturday Market.

Why is Voodoo Doughnut so popular?

On the corner of Broadway and Willamette,  there is a conspicuous pink store and people line up in front of it.

(By Travel or Die)

Voodoo Doughnut, is a Portland based unique doughnut shop.”Magic is in the Hole!!” This is its catch phrase.

A lot of people in Oregon come to Portland or Eugene just to get its doughnuts. Don’t you think it is crazy? There are many kinds of doughnuts shops in America, but I cannot find doughnuts anywhere like Voodoo. Voodoo exemplifies OREGON with its unique concept, tasty, interesting flavor combinations etc.. Obviously, Voodoo’s target audience is someone who would like to be different from everyone. Their age would most likely be between 18- 60.

Speaking of Voodoo in Eugene, one of the biggest reasons that Voodoo has been successful is that Voodoo communicates with its customers well and has eye-catching doughnuts and other products, such as  t-shirts and novelty items.

1. Voodoo Doughnut innovates/makes many unique doughnuts

2. It collaborates with the University of Oregon, such as Voodoo Tuesday at the EMU and the doughnut cart by Autzen Stadium on game days. On game days, you can always make out  the pink boxes amongst the sea of green and yellow.

3. It remains open until late at night. (The Eugene store is open till 4 a.m.) Good for late night or breakfast, right?

4. The location is ideal, as it is in the middle of downtown, as well right across from the Saturday market. This makes for a more diverse customer pool, since it is so easily accessible.

Voodoo is a good example of a successful local food business.
I think I will get them now.