Branka's Bake Haus and Market takes over for Rito's Bakery

BRUNSWICK — Branka's Bake Haus and Market is looking to continue the legacy that Rito's Bakery left while offering a new range of European food and desserts for Brunswick residents to try. Igor Djurin is the CEO of the company. He was born in Yugoslavia in 1990, but his family soon had to flee the country because of an ongoing civil war. The Djurin family then moved to Germany. He said his mother worked as a chef and his father was a butcher by trade. His father started working as a butcher in the meat department of a grocery store in Germany and worked his way up to becoming a manager and then a district manager for the store. "My dad really became established," he said. "Then in 1999, Germany said, we took in all the refugees from Serbia, from Croatia, Yugoslavia. The war is over. You guys have to go back home now." Djurin said his family did not necessarily have a place to go back home to since Yugoslavia was one country when they left and then became many different countries after the war. A church from Ames, Iowa, sponsored his family to come to the United States. "We came here with four suitcases, essentially, and the American dream," he said. His father visited the West Side Market, and his dream soon became opening a stand at the market, Djurin said. His family then moved to the Cleveland area. In 2000, his family took over the lease of Lakewood Beverage and Deli, and they sold European food like specialty candies, meats, baked goods and hot food, Djurin said. A buyer took over the establishment, and the family opened Das Schnitzel Haus in Parma in 2005, which continues to serve German and other European dishes. "I was washing dishes, cooking and helping my parents prep," he said. "They were working day and night, essentially. As I started getting older and envisioning the future of our company, I started getting into brewing. I really wanted to eventually start my own brewery." The company began expanding when it opened Schnitz Ale Brewery in 2021, and Djurin envisioned creating products like sourdough bread using beer. He recently became aware that Rito's Bakery in Brunswick was closing at the end of May due to retirement, and he was interested in taking over the space. Djurin said he remembered Rito's Bakery from when the company operated in Parma, and the Rito family has a similar immigrant background to his family. "With them wanting to slowly retire and us bringing in somewhat of a new passion and life, it was kind of a match made in heaven," he said. "They didn't want to just sell it to anybody. They wanted a family to essentially take it over." Employees who worked at Rito's Bakery had the option to continue to work for Branka's Bake Haus & Market. Branka's also continues to make Rito's staple products like angel wings and biscotti. "Those are items that have been in the Cleveland area for 60 years, and we would hate to see those sorts of items dwindle away," Djurin said. "We wanted to continue that history as well." General Manager Sam Matheny said a variety of other European desserts and pastries are sold at Branka's. For instance, the croissants are made from scratch using European unsalted sweet cream butter and come in different flavors like chocolate espresso, Dubai chocolate and Biscoff with orange marmalade. "It's global with a local feel," he said. "We want to take all the great things about European pastries and specialty items and Eastern European foods and bring them here." Branka's also offers fresh bread and hot food items like pretzels, paprikash, schnitzel and goulash, Matheny said. "Here we can bring the best of the restaurants and offer them here quickly to go, or people can bring them up here (in the restaurant) and sit and eat it," he said. "We've had lines out the door every day now for lunch and dinner. It's continuous." The soft opening for the business was a few weeks ago, while the grand opening was on Saturday. Matheny said the response has been unbelievable so far with more people coming each day, and some people even traveling as far as Columbus to try their products. "To open a business like we've done and to have it be so successful in the first few days is almost overwhelming," he said. "The community has been wonderful. The people of Brunswick really wanted something like this." Branka's Bake Haus & Market is at 1930 Pearl Road. For more information, visit brankasbakehaus.com. "I really want to thank the Rito family for the path that they have paved before us, and also the Medina County community for being so supportive of us in this business," Djurin said. "Bear with us as we continue to grow and figure out what works here." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.