UTICA — Hemstrought’s Bakeries, 900 Oswego St., is planning an expansion to become an innovative culinary destination for both locals and tourists alike.

The bakery, whose claim to fame is being the inventor of the halfmoon cookie, has already undergone significant changes to its usual offerings. Back in 2020, to celebrate their 100th anniversary, old Hemstrought’s recipes were brought back and kept on their permanent menu. Things like fry cakes, wine drop cookies, apple rolls, and butter cookies were offered again, along with the bakery’s signature halfmoon cookies.

In the past few years, the bakery has added more sweet and savory pastries, breakfast sandwiches, as well as breads, bagels and English muffins, all baked in-house.

Along with the bakery, Artisanal Premium Cheese moved from New York City to the Hemstrought’s location in Utica, bringing with it a variety of cheeses from around the world and cured meats to pair with the bakery’s menu.

Plans are in the works to turn the whole building into a one-stop shop for pastries, cured meats, cheeses, and wine, like a European market, complete with an aged cheese cave, an artisan wine shop, and a barrel room, as well as a milk and cookie bar to go with the famous Hemstrought’s halfmoon cookie. It would be the first of its kind in the area.

“We’re going to have the first ever cheese-aging cave here in the United States,” said Daniel Dowe, executive chairman of Artisanal Brands, which includes Hemstrought’s Bakeries. “It’s going to be about 1,000 square feet. From waist high to about 12 to 14 feet high will be shelves of cheeses from around the world.”

“The barrel room will be in connection to the wine shop, which will allow you under New York State law to enjoy the wines that you bought on premises,” Dowe added.

Even though the idea is still in its early stages, construction on the building could start as early as next month, and it could open as early as October of this year.

“To be doing this project, it’s something that we think is going to draw national attention to my hometown,” Dowe said. “To be part of the many things going on in Utica, just contributing our share to the development of the city and the really great comeback that the city has in store.”