A popular café with locations in Corvallis and Albany is opening in downtown Eugene next week.
Bodhi Café is preparing to open in the former Bagel Sphere location on Willamette near 8th Avenue, which closed in 2025. Owner Cody Utzman told KLCC he thinks taking over a space that’s already well-known is a bonus.
“To put a new business in here you almost have kind of a built in mindset, ‘Hey, lets go to that spot. Oh, look it’s something different,’ and that tends to work,” he said.
Utzman added there’s a sense of synchronicity because their original Corvallis location is in the former Allann Brothers Beanery.
He said Bodhil Café started in 2019, selling breads and pastries at farmers markets. He said they’re known for their bread.
“We make long-fermented sourdough bread,” Utzman said. “And then about five other specialty loaves. We have a seeded whole wheat and a pan au lait, baguettes. And then we do about 40 different pastries.”
Utzman told KLCC he plans to offer a special cinnamon roll that will be unique to their Eugene store.
He said one of the reasons they decided to open in Eugene was because their booth at the Lane County Farmers Market has been well-received.
“Right from the get-go last season we had a great response to our booth at the farmers market,” he said. “So, naturally, it just really worked for us to look at this cafe option.”
Utzman said he didn’t originally look at downtown Eugene but was encouraged by the city and the building’s owner to locate at the former Bagel Sphere.
Bodhi Café's grand opening in Eugene is set for Wednesday, Oct. 21.
