NORTH ADAMS -- A new business within a business on Main Street received a warm welcome that nearly emptied the shelves on its opening day.
Luma's Muffin and Mug, situated inside Berkshire Em por ium and Antiques, held a grand opening Saturday, complete with a ribbon-cutting by Ma y or Richard J. Alcombright and a crowd of roughly 40 people.
"That first hour or two, it was non-stop -- shoulder to shoulder and you couldn't move. It was really great," Nicole Ma loney, who runs the business with her husband, Glenn, said Sunday.
"She was working her tail off filling up that display and it got wiped out," Berkshire Em porium owner and City Coun cilor Keith Bona said Sunday. "There were maybe a few corn muffins left."
Luma's offers coffee from Greenfield-based Pierce Bros Coffee, as well as baked goods made on site, including muffins, whoopie pies, cheesecake, brow nies and cupcakes. City resident Annie Rodgers' Sun shine Bagels are also available.
"I'm sure once summer rolls around, we'll be at the local farmers market," Maloney said of sourcing her ingredients and offerings locally. "We like to take advantage of those sources as much as possible."
The idea to take what was a small baking operation in her home to the next step was something of a dream come true for Maloney.
"I've always enjoyed baking, and I had done it out of my home for about a year for a couple local spots," she said. "We were in Ireland
For Bona, who already shares the space with North Adams Public Schools Superintendent James Montepare's antiques business, the addition of Luma's represents the fulfillment of a plan for the space at 59 Main St.
"It's the end of a vision that I had for a while of bringing a variety of different stores together within one to make it a destination," Bona said. "When we took over the Main Street Stage space, there was already a handicapped bathroom, and I just saw a bakery. Mollie's was closed for more than a year, and I knew Nicole was baking."
The Maloneys reside in North Adams and have two children who were the inspiration for the bakery's name. Their daughter, Emerson, 3, is nicknamed Emma, and combining the name with their son, Lucas, 5, gave rise to "Luma."
Maloney believes the arrival of another business on Main Street will be a boon for the ones that are already there.
"It's definitely for the greater good of everyone," she said. "The more that's down there, the more it will draw. We shared our opening day with Shima's fourth birthday, and we sent people back and forth. You gain those friendships and relationships and you can definitely benefit from them."
The essentials
What: Luma's Muffin and Mug
Where: 59 Main St., North Adams
Offering: Coffee and a variety of baked goods
Hours: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, with Facebook announcements of additional hours.
Information: 413-664-9470, www.lumasmuffin.com or www.facebook.com/LumasMuffinAndMug
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