The smell of fresh bread will once again fill the historic bakery square complex bordering Back Street and Nye Gade this spring when My Brother’s Workshop, a program for at-risk youth, opens its second job training school on St. Thomas, the MBW Bakery and Cafe.

The new school is being made possible by a $50,000 donation from an anonymous donor.

“We recently received an amazing gift from an individual who has deep ties to St. Thomas, and who recognizes the importance of positively impacting young people,” said MBW Executive Director, Jenny Hawkes.

My Brother’s Workshop was founded in late 2007 by retired industrial engineer Scott Bradley as a program to provide mentoring, counseling, education, job training and placement primarily through teaching woodworking and carpentry. In 2014 Bradley was award the National Lewis Hine Award for Service to Children and Youth.

The new MBW Bakery and Cafe will offer a whole new set of opportunities for residents age 16 to 24 by offering training in cooking, baking and hospitality.

The MBW Bakery and Cafe is slated to open in March and will aim to be the perfect place downtown for St. Thomas residents, tourists, and Main Street business employees to relax and have lunch or recharge with a quick snack. The Bakery and Cafe will offer fresh breads, rolls, scones, confections and sandwiches, and will have indoor and outdoor seating.

MBW also plans to “fire up” the original outdoor brick oven on the property.

“The facility will be a unique place that will speak to your heart,” said Hawkes. “The current program trainees will be doing the majority of the build out as well as making the tables, chairs and wooden items that will be for sale.”

MBW will hold its annual Thank You Event March 5 at Bakery Square. The organization will debut its first professionally produced video telling its history and laying out its plans for the future. The MBV Cafe and Bakery is scheduled to open soon after.