Mezzo Bakeshop, a European-inspired café and bakery, opens Sept. 12 at 1100 N. Walker Ave. in Midtown Oklahoma City. The new business occupies the National Register-listed building where Brown's Bakery served customers for 77 years before closing in July 2023, OKC Fox reported.
The $10.3 million redevelopment used historic tax credits, with about $8 million financed through private investment, The Journal Record reported in November 2025. Developer Chris Fleming of Midtown Renaissance led the project on the 5,500-square-foot building, which was constructed in the early 1950s as a grocery store.
Before Brown's Bakery moved in, the building housed a Salvation Army Thrift Store and, before that, Clyde's Supermarket, KFOR reported.
William Brown, whose family ran Brown's Bakery at the location for decades, told KFOR the transition has been bittersweet.
"It was always my life. That's all I ever knew; was making donuts and talking to the customers. It's emotional … Yeah, tons of memories," Brown said.
He gave the new tenants his blessing.
Brown said it was nice to see the building "taken to another level" and called the Mezzo team "really nice people" who would give the spot "a fresh new start."
General manager Niall Ferguson said the renovation stripped the building back to its original bones before the team added its own design touches. Ferguson told KFOR the café aims to bring a European sensibility to Midtown, where customers can drop in casually or settle in as regulars who feel like part of the team.
Executive chef John Conway said the menu features croissants, sandwiches and coffee, with Italian-inspired names woven throughout the offerings to immerse guests in the culture. Conway told KFOR the item he is most eager for customers to try is the pinolate cookie, a pine nut treat he described as "pine nuts … and magic."
The Oklahoman reported in September 2025 that the former Brown's Bakery space was being renovated to reopen as an Italian-inspired bakery and café.
Doors open at 7 a.m., with giveaways planned.
