Worcester Business Journal

22 Worcester Business Journal | January 11, 2021 | wbjournal.com B E S T O F B U S I N E S S F O O D , D R I N K & M A R I J U A N A Bean Counter serves up quality, expertise, and locally made treats BY MONICA BUSCH Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer B ean Counter Bakery Owner Alice Lombardi worked as an engineer in the corporate world when she decided to leave to spend more time with her children, back in 1998. Her employer tried to keep her, enticing her with remote work options long before working from home would become a typical job setup. Still, she said, the balance didn't feel like enough. "I am a perfectionist," Lombardi said. "I've either got to do it the right way or no way at all. So I decided to just quit." Always an avid baker, she began bringing baked goods to mom groups and coffee hours in her neighborhood. Aer one mother suggested she sell her treats to local restaurants, Lombardi obtained a residential kitchen license. "I would take care of the kids during the day, then they would go to bed and I would bake all night," Lombardi said. "And then the next morning I would, aer the kids got out of school ... they would be in the back of my car and I'd be driving to deliver these products with the kids screaming in the back." rough these new business contacts, Lombardi met, and eventually bought, the Bean Counter business. "I knew nothing about running any food service," Lombardi said, who added people told her she would fail within a year. Two decades later, however, Lombardi runs a thriving business, having opened a new flagship location on Grove Street in Worcester in 2020, while operating a branch on Highland Street, as well as a location on Route 9 in Shrewsbury. "People in Worcester, they love their local businesses," Lombardi said. A stickler for efficiency, Lombardi is laser focused on maintaining best production practices, keeping her employees happy, and providing niche environments for her customers to cozy up in. e best lesson she's learned along the way, she said, is to trust her gut. "at's where your experience takes you," Lombardi said, referring to her longevity in the baking business as a key business asset. The Bean Counter has opened a new location on Grove Street, offering parking outside and plenty of seating inside. BEST LOCALLY OWNED PLACE TO MEET FOR COFFEER Bean Counter Bakery Cafe Worcester & Shrewsbury, beancounterbakery.com Top executive: Owner Alice Lombardi Founded: 1998 Employees: 35 Notable runners-up: BirchTree Bread Co., Inhouse Coffee BEST AFTER-WORK BAR One Eleven Chop House Worcester, www.111chophouse.com Top executives: Owners Robb and Madeleine Ahlquist, President Caitlyn Carolan, and General Manager Aaron Francisco Founded: 1999 Employees: 77 The wine list at One Eleven has received Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence annually since 2001. The restaurant couples this with specially crafted cocktails of the moment and draft beer sourced from New England's top craft breweries. Notable runners-up: VIA Italian Table, Tavern in the Square n BEST RESTAURANT FOR BUSINESS DINNER One Eleven Chop House* Worcester, www.111chophouse.com Top executives: Owners Robb and Madeleine Ahlquist, President Caitlyn Carolan, and General Manager Aaron Francisco Founded: 1999 Employees: 77 The independent family-owned restaurant rivals the best steakhouses in the country by listening to customers and exceeding their expectations for quality, presentation and flavor. During the coronavirus pandemic, One Eleven still offered a wide selection of meats while introducing online ordering and tenderloin kits. Notable runners-up: Sonoma Restaurant at Beechwood Hotel, The Sole Proprietor n W

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