Reading — Test 24

Reading passage

Last month, Maple & Crumb Bakery opened on Elmwood Avenue, taking over the space left empty since the old hardware store closed two years ago. The owners, a husband-and-wife team named Petra and Dev Oosthuizen, moved from Winnipeg specifically to open the shop, and they have already become fixtures of the neighbourhood's morning routine. We asked a few readers what they thought, and the responses were mixed but mostly warm. Fiona R. wrote: "I walk my dog past there every morning, and the smell of fresh sourdough alone has made my commute better. I bought their cinnamon buns on opening day and went back three more times that week. My only complaint is that they sell out of the good stuff by 9 a.m., so if you work a normal shift, you might miss out entirely." Tomasz K. was less impressed: "Six dollars for a plain croissant is steep for this part of town. I understand rent is high, but a lot of us on this street are retirees on fixed incomes, and that pricing tells me who they're really hoping to attract." Priya S. focused on the practical side: "What I appreciate is that they added four bike racks out front, which the block badly needed. The seating inside is limited, maybe eight small tables, so it's clearly built for takeout rather than lingering, but that suits the pace of the street." Owner Petra Oosthuizen responded to some of the feedback directly in an interview: "We priced our menu based on ingredient costs, since we use European butter and mill our own rye flour. We're actually planning a weekly seniors' discount starting next month, and we're looking into a second, smaller oven so we can bake a second batch of pastries around midday for people who work regular hours." Whatever side of the debate you land on, it's clear Maple & Crumb has given Elmwood Avenue something to talk about, which is more than could be said for the hardware store in its final years.

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