By Charly SHELTON

The beloved Montrose staple, Gio’s Bakery & Café, is expanding its horizons by opening a long-anticipated new location in La Cañada on March 1. Gio’s held a soft opening for invited guests and passersby earlier this week and CV Weekly was invited to come and check out the new space.

“We waited a long time for the city, got all our permits, started construction, and now we’re here, and I can forget about the last 14 months,” said Shant Fernezlian with a laugh, manager of Gio’s. “So we’re already looking forward to the next steps.”

Having carved out a niche in Montrose as a community favorite, Gio’s Bakery & Café is known for its unique Parisian café ambiance, exquisite coffee creations and handcrafted pastries. The decision to open a second location in La Cañada stems from their desire to share their passion with a wider audience.

“I think this community needed something where families, friends, office workers – anyone in the area – can come meet,” Fernezlian said. “You know, a lot of places [in La Cañada] are either more formal, sit-down restaurants with wait staff, or very basic coffee shops with not a lot of food to offer, or any food at all. So I think we’re a good mix of both where we have a big space and we make good coffee with quick service.”

Fernezlian, who runs the Montrose location with his sister, Azniv, will be taking over the La Cañada location full time while Azniv heads up the Montrose location. And as far as the clientele, the pair expect to split and share the customers, depending on what is most convenient.

“Some of our Montrose clientele are La Cañada residents,” Fernezlian said. “So I think, naturally, we’re going to have some people move from the Montrose store to the La Cañada one, but then some Montrose clientele will stay there and [that location] will cater more to the La Crescenta and North Glendale areas. So I think we’re going to have a healthy mix of our groups in both areas.”

The La Cañada community is buzzing with anticipation for the grand opening. Gio’s Bakery & Café invites the public to join in celebrating this new chapter. Mark calendars for March 1 and prepare to welcome the little slice of Paris that Gio’s Bakery & Café brings to La Cañada.

“I just want to say [to La Cañada] thanks for having us. I know some of you know us already and we’re looking forward to welcoming your friends and family and growing our business together with the community,” Fernezlian said.

Gio’s Bakery & Café is located at 711 Foothill Blvd. in La Cañada.