Ad Astra Bread Co. opens its doors on Alvarado Street.

There’s a sandwich board on Alvarado Street that declares WE ARE OPEN, but at 9am on Wednesday it’s not really needed—the way customers are inexorably drawn to the open door, lured by the scent of fresh croissants and the grumble of an espresso machine is enough.

It’s week one (of this new phase) for Ad Astra Bread Co., which opened the doors to its new bakery and cafe on Tuesday, Aug. 29. Inside, a gleaming pastry case holds croissants (including plain, chocolate and tahini versions), cinnamon rolls, homemade poptarts, and more. There are shelves of bread and display cases and a small merch area where fans can buy an Ad Astra hat or a t-shirt with the shop’s space/astronaut motif that reads “make space for bread.”

While waiting on an espresso drink, customers perched on stools at the back of the retail space can peer through the glass and into the bakery itself—with human-sized stand mixers, stacks of bread baskets and a massive Pavallier oven. 

It’s a beautiful space and an exciting new start for Ad Astra—the bakery moved out of its much smaller kitchen at Other Brother Beer Co. in Seaside in early April. This week the shop is open from 7am to 5pm (coffee bar closes at 4pm), with plans to stay open later, until 7pm, soon.

Ad Astra Bread Co. is at 479 Alvarado St., Monterey. adastrabread.com.