On Saturday, in a Mission space that once housed offices, customers eagerly lined up for sweet treats.

Though the bakery is new, its owner is not new to baking. Abeer Jari has been whipping up breads and pastries for decades, for her family back home in Saudi Arabia and then for her neighbors in Kansas City, Missouri.

Now a new Johnson County clientele is tasting those recipes. The new bakery, Levant Bakery, celebrated its grand opening in Mission this past weekend after a few days of a quiet “soft” opening.

Levant Bakery opened at 6518 Martway St.

• The bakery took over a space at the Mission West shopping center, just off Johnson Drive and Lamar Avenue in Mission.
• There, it operates near bar and grill The Other Place at the shopping center.
• Levant Bakery is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

Levant Bakery serves pastries with multicultural roots

The cases at the bakery are stocked with fresh treats with Middle Eastern influences, along with some European recipes from Jari’s travels abroad.

One of the stars of the show, Jari said, is the bakery’s honeycomb bread rolls, filled with cream cheese and topped with a drizzle of honey.

Other offerings on the rotating menu include feta-stuffed sourdough croissants, date bars, German cheese pastries, and savory sausage rolls.

In addition to its baked goods, Levant Bakery also serves coffee drinks made with housemade syrups, as well as some Moroccan and Persian teas.

The space itself underwent a significant transformation, from dark green paint and white marble tables to gold finishes and antique decor (and some photos of Jari’s family) lining the walls.

“We tried our best to (give it) a style, so hopefully people are liking it,” Jari said.

Levant Bakery is a long time coming for its owner

Baking has long been a labor of love for Jari.

That includes the sourdough starter at the heart of several of the bakery’s pastries — which she’s kept alive for more than seven years. The new Mission space marks a significant milestone for her.

“It’s been my passion to open a bakery,” she said.

So far, Jari said, Levant Bakery has received a warm welcome from its new neighbors in Mission. In the shop’s first few days open, getting to welcome in all of those new faces has been the most exciting part.

“I want to thank the city of Mission, and the community,” she said. “The people here are very nice.”

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