Black boxes, generally defined as devices whose inner workings are obscure to their users, are a key trope of science fiction, which is all about investigating the mysteries of worlds beyond our own. So when Arielle Israel began conceiving her business plan for a bakery several years ago, they struck her as symbolic of her resolve to test the boundaries of her own imagination.
“Space is unlimited; space is unknown,” said the owner of Black Box Bakery, which launched in 2019 as a wholesale operation before expanding into retail with a stall inside Edgewater Public Market in 2023. “I wanted to create a playground for pastry chefs where we could do whatever we wanted, right?”
Anyone who’s ever scrolled through Black Box’s Instagram feed can attest to her and her team’s experimental bent. Cube-shaped croissants; savory flavors such as dill pickle and cacio e pepe; and specials inspired by, say, bánh mì or scallion pancakes are just a few examples of their creativity and ambition, constrained only by the size of their workspace.
Which brings us to Black Box Café. Slated to soft-open on October 28 just a few blocks from the food hall, Israel’s newest venture may look to its customers like your average neighborhood coffeehouse: cozy quarters with a few booths and tables lining the order counter. But a peek into the kitchen proves—true to the name—just how complex Black Box’s inner workings really are.
The Birth of a Dream
With a newborn baby strapped to her chest, Israel recently gave me a tour of her other baby. Leading me past a colossal mixer she called her “pride and joy,” she pointed out the three separate walk-ins. Next, a whole room dedicated to the production of chocolates and ice cream. Then, another space devoted to lamination, where her crew was assembling ham-and-cheese croissants on a long table flanked by two commercial dough sheeters.
It’s a dream come true for Israel, who’s been baking since she was 12. Back in Israel—where she was coincidentally enough born and raised—her parents ran a catering company. So, she said, “hospitality is in my blood.”
“They let me do summer jobs helping the pastry chef, so that’s how I got into it,” she explained, adding with a laugh, “They used to judge my challah on Fridays: ‘You could do better.’”
Challenge accepted. After moving to the U.S. to be with her now-husband and partner, Ty Webb, she enrolled at the renowned Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. There, she furthered her studies by taking a job in the pastry department at The Inn at Pound Ridge under celeb chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. That’s when she met Marcio Paulucci, who’s since become her other partner.
“But I was kind of over being in New York,” she admitted. “I was angry that most pastry departments are tiny and culinary is the shining [star] in restaurants. I wanted to have pastry appreciated.”
No doubt the line of THC-infused croissants that she and Webb relocated to Denver to launch would have been greatly appreciate. However, the exorbitant costs of the cannabis industry led her instead to a position at The Bindery, where chef-owner Linda Hampsten Fox encouraged her to follow her entrepreneurial instincts.
“She was like, ‘Hey, if you want to sell croissants, I’ll be your first wholesale customer,” Israel recalled. Today, Black Box supplies more than 20 local coffee shops with its baked goods—and that number is sure to grow as production expands.
What to Expect at the Black Box Café
The starting lineup of pastries will be familiar to Black Box’s regulars: Think croissants galore in flavors like classic chocolate, mocha swirl, and strawberry milk, as well as a few seasonal items such as the triple-hazelnut cube and a Halloween-themed gummy-worm cruffin. Also imagine scones and cookies and various loaves—baguettes, focaccia, challah. But don’t stop thinking there.
Following the official grand opening on November 7, the cafe will be offering sandwiches such as grilled cheese and turkey with pesto on your choice of bread. And grab-and-go jars of banana pudding and tiramisu. And ice cream and sorbet by the pint—from vanilla and chocolate to strawberry-wine and mango-Sriracha—with scoop service to come. And bonbons, including raspberry cheesecake and passion fruit–mango.
“We’ve got a lot of plans,” said Paulucci. For instance, “One ice cream that I want to do is apple confit, but it’s like 15 steps just to get to the base, so I want to get our staples in first.” As for the chocolates, “I want to do creative sculptures . . . It’s gonna be fun [for] the holidays; we actually just bought a mold machine to make our own molds.”
Eventually, the team hopes to open in the evenings to showcase the sorts of plated desserts they built their restaurant careers on. But for now, Black Box is strictly a daytime affair, with a beverage program to match. Sporting a La Marzocco espresso machine and beans from Huckleberry Roasters, the coffee bar will offer all the standard drinks plus seasonal specials like apple-caramel lattes as well as hot chocolate and vanilla lemonade for the kiddos. Two signatures, meanwhile, reflect their out-of-the-box ethos.
“Astro Fuel is our flagship,” said Israel. “It’s sweetened, condensed milk seasoned with pepper and a double shot of espresso; if you have it cold, it’s more salty, and if you’re getting it hot, it’s more spicy. And the Mothership is literally my drink, because I’m a new mom. It’s a quad shot with half-and-half and coconut sugar.” Pointing to the counter, she added, “And it’s waiting for me right there.”
She’s going to need it, because Black Box is about to enter a whole new dimension of success.
Black Box Café will initially operate Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; as of November 7, it’s scheduled to open daily until 5 p.m. 5901 W. 25th Ave., Edgewater, blackboxbakery.com
