Common Wall Bakery's Namesake

For anyone wondering what's behind the name and logo for Common Wall Bakery, I will take a few minutes to explain.

In Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, we have a large, thriving population of what are colloquially known as Lazarus Lizards. As the story goes, a boy in the 1950's transported a handful of these reptiles from Lake Garda, Italy to the Hyde Park area of Cincinnati. The boy was part of the Lazarus family associated with the now bygone department store of the same name. They are more widely known as the European Wall Lizard or Common Wall Lizard.

I am a big fan of these little guys and lizards generally. The logo is based on this photo my husband took of one he was quick enough to catch once.

Lazarus Lizard photo courtesy of Joe Accardi

As I touched on in my introductory post, I set out on this bakery journey with a goal of finding community in the artisanal food world. I feel this ties well to the Common Wall name when you consider the meaning in literal terms. A common wall is a shared part of two structures, connects neighbors and requires mutual effort to maintain.

I want to carry that sentiment with me in all my CWB endeavors and stay true to a small business path that prioritizes connection to the community. If that message speaks to you, give me a shout! I can’t wait to connect.