Bakery That George Built Changes Hands -- Greek Emigre Builds North Bend Shop; Retires After 29 Years

NORTH BEND - There's a rumor circulating around North Bend: George Macris has sold the bakery that he has run for 29 years, and he's moving to Seattle.

Not so, says Macris.

He'll still live here.

"I sold the bakery, but I am not moving to Seattle. The only thing that draws me to Seattle is my church, St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox. Everything else is here," Macris said over a cup of coffee at the Mar T Cafe, after several people walked up and asked about his retirement.

In fact, George's wife of 30 years, Jean, and his daughter, Angelique, will continue to own and operate the Market Place next door to George's Bakery. And although he's retiring, don't be surprised to find George in the store selling the shop's Washington state specialty foods and gifts, and a line of vitamins and herbs.

But behind him are the nearly three decades of 3 a.m. arrivals at the bakery to get things rolling - preparing breads and pastries that have made George's Bakery famous.

"It's been wonderful. People all over the valley have been supportive, particularly in hard times," Macris said in his slow, articulate manner that almost hides the accent of his Greek homeland.

For many years, George's Bakery was a must-stop for skiers heading for Snoqualmie Pass and for regular cross-mountain travelers. That was when Interstate 90 ran down North Bend's main street - before the bypass was completed in October 1978.

"Every Saturday morning we had people sitting on the floor eating Danish and drinking coffee. That was before we put in tables and chairs," Macris said.

There were other regulars. People came from Everett and Tacoma to buy Macris' specialties. Cracked wheat bread was one of those, so were cinnamon nut bread and a variety of rye breads.

"Everything I made was part of me. Time has passed so quickly," he said wistfully.

During the Christmas holidays, his rum torte was highly prized as were his rum balls, which began as a holiday-only treat and were turned into a year-round favorite.

That's easy to explain, said Carl Blomberg, a longtime friend and fellow North Bend businessman.

Macris' motto was "We only use the finest ingredients and a certain amount of pride," and he lived up to that, said Blomberg, a real-estate salesman.

"George worked hard all the time, and built up a great business. He put a lot into the valley. He was always willing to help people," Blomberg said.

The new owners, Greg and Cornelia Cordova of Redmond, already have begun operating the business, and plan to retain the business name.

The Cordovas have lived in the Seattle area three years. Greg has been an executive chef at the Fontainebleau Hilton in Miami and Orlando Disney World Hilton. And Cornelia, who trained as a pastry chef in Switzerland, worked for the Hilton chain and most recently at the Greenwood Bakery in Seattle.

---------- NEW OWNERS ----------

-- George Macris will introduce the new owners of George's Bakers at an open house from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the bakery in North Bend.