Bakey’s success as renowned Boston bakery defined by dedication to freshness

Uri Scheft’s passion for serving people the freshest babka in Boston is still evident after about 35 years in the baking industry.

“Some people say ‘you work very hard.’ I say, ‘I don’t work hard, because I love what I’m doing,’” the founder of Boston’s renowned chain Bakey told MassLive.

“I don’t separate what I do at home and work,” he said. “It’s all one piece.”

Bakey’s fourth and newest location opens at 238 Main St. in Cambridge on Friday, Feb. 14.

The new store is located in Kendall Square and is adjacent to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and directly across from the Kendall/MIT stop on the Red Line.

“A new place is always very exciting for me,” Scheft said ahead of the bakery’s official opening.

“Seeing all the new colors and all the new signs is really exciting. And the smell,” Scheft added. “The smell of the new thing, it’s always like I’m moving to a new house.”

Scheft said Bakey had been in negotiation with the landlord of the property for about two years. At that time, the space that Bakey now occupies wasn’t even finished yet.

“We took our time. I would say, maybe too much time,” said Scheft, who visited the area several times to ensure that it would be the right fit for his award-winning business.

The Danish-Israeli baker would just sit outside in Kendall Square to observe if Bakey would get enough foot traffic and how that pattern changed depending on the time of day and season.

“It’s very hard to find a good location, especially if you are not raised and born here,” Scheft said. “But now we’re here.”

This is Bakey’s fourth location in about as many years. The first Bakey on Tremont Street in Boston opened in September 2021. The brand’s second shop in Brookline opened in May 2023, and the third location in Newton followed in May 2024.

Scheft said Bakey has always been “very clear with the concept since day one.”

He also said he wanted to use his experiences as an international pastry chef and love for fresh pastries to satisfy customers.

“People [ask] me ‘what do you like best of all your things?’ It’s the last thing that came out of the oven,’” Scheft explained. “So just to match the good coffee with a fresh-baked pastry is kind of the vision.”

Scheft graduated with a degree in biology from Tel Aviv University. But “after a short while of studying,” he knew he was “not going to be a big biologist.”

“I always was very sure that my occupation would be something I would love to do,” said Scheft, who began to pursue baking in his mid-20s.

Scheft eventually went back to pastry school, where he was placed in a baking class because there weren’t enough students.

“Bakers work at night and people don’t like to work so much at night,” he explained. “But I studied to be a baker and since then I’ve been working in Israel and in New York and Boston.”

Scheft now specializes in European and Israeli baking. His passion for baking and dedication to quality shines through in Bakey’s offerings, which change monthly.

The menu at Bakey includes a variety of babka — including their signature chocolate babka — challah, chocolate chip cookies, burekas, croissants, bagels, sandwiches, dips and salads. The beverage menu includes a variety of coffees, lattes and teas, along with seasonal drinks.

Bakey’s dedication to freshness is shown in the brand’s motto “ovens always on,” having several ovens at every location (including three in the new Cambridge shop) and their constant output of freshly baked pastries throughout the day. The new location also features a larger kitchen than Bakey’s Brookline and Newton location, so a lot of pastries will be prepped there.

“You will always meet something that just came out of the oven. This is a promise,” Scheft said.

The baker also credits Bakey’s success to using the best ingredients. Whether it’s hazelnut spread from Germany or cream cheese from New York City, Scheft is “very picky” about what ingredients will make the final cut.

However, the pastry chef realizes that there’s sometimes more to be desired. He often prefers to simply let his mouth decide which ingredients Bakey will use, saying that it’s “just like a blind tasting.”

But above all, Bakey would not be where it is now without lots of love: both in its recipes and amongst staff, he said.

“It’s love of, first of all, to what we do and for hospitality,” Scheft said. “We are really trying to have this culture of respect, of teamwork and put a love to the baked goods.”

Bakey’s new Cambridge location will offer the same menu as its other locations, but Scheft foresees the menu changing depending on customer demands in the area.

“This is what, I think, is coming up next for Bakey is new options for lunch, but specifically with more variety of sandwiches,” he said.

In addition to counter service and a dining area, the Cambridge shop will offer an outdoor patio that customers can take advantage of during the warmer months. Catering options will also be available.

Bakey Cambridge will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

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