Clarkesville’s new gourmet bakery opened to customer acclaim Thursday as baker Colin Rai wowed visitors with fresh bread, croissants, pastries and meat pies — just as if he’d been open for years instead of hours.
Habersham County’s only European-style bakery, Flour, Water, Salt — also called FWS — is now buzzing on Monroe Street (Hwy. 115) in the former home of Grille 52, behind Penny Lane Barber Shop, just east of Sutton Tire, and across the street from City Butcher & Fish.
“I’m thrilled to offer my goods to customers at my new location,” Rai said. He previously
operated in Cornelia but wanted to be closer to his Clarkesville customer base, as well as lake traffic headed toward Burton, Rabun and other popular spots north of town.
Rai handled the construction himself, removing old walls, preparing the space for his baker’s oven and installing new plumbing, electrical lines, display cases and tables for 20 to 30 customers.
He grew up in his father’s restaurant in Nottingham, England, and still carries the region’s distinctive accent. The restaurant served Indian fare, but Rai fell in love with French and Continental cooking and baking while working in a French restaurant, also in Nottingham.
His wife, Andrea, a nurse at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, stopped by FWS on Thursday morning, planning to stay only a few minutes. But as customers arrived, she ended up working the register for hours.
Play ball? Umm… roll dough?
