Bakari Belfast to open temporary pop-up in Holywood

Popular Belfast bakery Bakari is set to open a new pop-up location in Co Down, following the temporary closure of its city centre shop due to a fire last month.

The Donegall Street bakery sustained significant damage after a blaze broke out on Monday, March 17, forcing the team to halt regular operations. In the weeks since, Bakari has shifted its focus to wholesale production and collaborative pop-ups, including a partnership with local coffee spot Native.

Now, the team has announced plans to open a temporary outlet in Holywood. Named Bakari Little Sister, the pop-up will be located at 63 High Street and is expected to begin trading soon.

Sharing the news on social media, the bakery said:

“While we work on rebuilding our Donegall Street shop, we’d like to introduce you to our Little Sister. We’re opening a temporary shop on Holywood High Street selling our breads, bakes, sandwiches, and coffee.”

Support for the business has poured in from the local community. A fundraiser, set up by fellow baker Chris Fahey, has already raised over £14,000 to help cover the cost of repairs and lost income. Any extra funds, the team says, will be donated to local food initiative Larder East.

In response to the support, Bakari shared:

“It’s very hard to ask for help like this but we are extremely grateful to Chris and humbled by all the support we are receiving.

“The shop on Donegall St. needs a heap of work. Not much was salvageable. We don’t know how long that will take but we are waiting to get back in there. There are lots of costs associated with this and with the shop closed we’ve lost the bulk of our revenue.”

The pop-up in Holywood offers a way for the team to stay connected with customers while work continues to restore their original home in Belfast.