A Traditional Norwegian Bakeri Is Now Open on the 16th Street Mall

The aroma of cardamom, cinnamon and yeasty rolls just pulled from the oven fill the air inside 6770 South Yosemite Street in Centennial, where Ana Fanakra opened Ana’s Norwegian Bakeri in June 2021. Now, those in downtown Denver can get a taste of Fanakra's baked goods, too. On November 19, she opened a second location at 918 16th Street Mall.

Fanakra, who moved to the U.S. in 1999 for college, had long been searching for high-quality, authentic Norwegian pastries, but she "never found anything like it," she says. Coming from a long line of bakers on both sides of her family, providing others with comforting pastries was simply in her nature. So in May 2020, she took matters into her own hands, hosting various pop-ups and setting up at farmers' markets before opening her first brick-and-mortar location with the goal of making the space feel like stepping into "Grandma's kitchen," she notes.
The bakery offers an assortment of classic Norwegian pastries mainly made using "family recipes that have been tweaked to work at high altitude," Fanakra says. "Anyone from all over the world can feel that they relate to our food." The selection includes School Rolls (skolebolle), a sweet bun with vanilla custard in the center coated with icing and coconut; Sunshine Rolls (solskinnsboller), a cinnamon roll with vanilla custard in the center; and Mormor's ("Grandma's") Apple Cake, which Fanakra says is a must-try.

During the holidays, Ana's will offer seasonal specialties like Christmas cookies and traditional lefse bread, which can also be shipped nationwide.

The new location is part of the Downtown Denver Partnership's Popup Denver program, which is focused on "reducing entry barriers for local businesses to test out a new location," on the 16th Street Mall, according to a press release.

While the initial plan was for Ana's to open for six months to a year, Fanakra says she favors long-term ambitions over short-term projects, and she was able to negotiate the inclusion of an additional four-year lease extension. The bakery's new location replaces Moe's Bagels, which was in the space previously.
Fanakra is excited to reach a new market, and to have a space that is larger, with more foot traffic than her Centennial shop, and she hopes the new Ana's will become an inviting and comforting community hub for those in the downtown area.

Along with running her bakery, Fanakra also hosts Norwegian cultural events on the last Saturday of every month. With this expansion, she plans to grow that event as well. "Our focus on community-building through homemade baked goods has resonated with our customers, and we look forward to expanding our community-building into downtown Denver," she concludes. "Being able to offer community in a day and age where community is largely absent has been incredibly rewarding."

The second location of Ana’s Norwegian Bakeri is located at 918 16th Street. During Thanksgiving week, it will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, November 21, and Saturday, November 25, as well as 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, November 26. For more information, visit anasnorwegianbakeri.com.