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QuickTake:
Backed by a city of Eugene loan and a reputation for artisanal sourdough loaves and healthy cafe fare, Bodhi Cafe owner Cody Utzman wants his new Willamette Street bakery to build a steady base of regulars while attracting more businesses to the downtown core.
For the first time in more than a year, the ovens inside 810 Willamette St. were hot, dishing out bubbly-chewy bagels and artisanal pastries.
Once the longtime headquarters of Bagel Sphere, the address is now home to Bodhi Cafe & Bakery’s first Eugene location.
It had a soft opening Oct. 19. That week, Bodhi Cafe served towering morning buns and jammy marionberry danishes. The espresso machine hissed as baristas prepared chili and cinnamon-spiced Mayan hot cocoa, a Bodhi specialty.
Fall specials were also brewing.
“We don’t shy away from pumpkin spice latte season,” owner Cody Utzman said.
In the kitchen, bakers rolled slabs of butter into croissant dough while cooks assembled cubanos and Oregon albacore tuna melts on fresh sourdough.
The sunny dining space, too, hummed with people the first Wednesday of opening week. A couple in their golden years scooped into savory breakfast bowls, while a mom and dad parked their newborn’s stroller by the order counter. Outside, a few construction workers lingered after lunch.
Utzman hopes they all become regulars.
“That’s what it takes to run a place like this,” he said.
Utzman launched the Bodhi brand eight years ago in Corvallis. What started as a farmers market booth specializing in artisanal sourdough loaves quickly grew to Bodhi’s first storefront in 2019.
He opened two more locations, a bistro in Corvallis and a cafe in Albany. And Bodhi began selling its bread and pastries at the Lane County Farmers Markets, attracting a consistent following.
The Eugene cafe mirrors the style of the Corvallis location: a casual eatery with a full coffee program, breakfast and lunch items that are quick and nutritious, and a welcoming space where you can bring your laptop or hang out with a friend. A place to stay awhile.
“That is the picture of downtown that I think aligns with the city’s vision as well,” Utzman said.
A downtown incentive
When he first started looking for potential Bodhi locations in the Eugene-Springfield area, Utzman noticed empty office spaces and “For Lease” signs on storefronts in downtown Eugene.
These scenes are not unique to Eugene’s downtown: Nationwide, office vacancies remain 50% higher than pre-COVID rates, according to a 2026 report from the Pew Charitable Trusts.
To help fill those spaces, Eugene offers special loans to businesses that open and stay downtown. Borrowers can use the loan for projects such as building renovations, facade upgrades and accessibility improvements.
Utzman connected to the program, eventually securing a $125,000 loan for the Willamette Street space.
“It feels like a partnership a little bit,” Utzman said. “Like, the city invested in us.”
Since 2018, Eugene has awarded more than $4.1 million in loans and grants for the downtown corridor. The program is self-sustaining.
Aaron Doreen, the city’s business lending program manager who helped Utzman apply for the loan, said he’s seen progress downtown since the pandemic, including the opening of Bodhi.
The cafe joins a diverse and growing stream of retail stores, bars, restaurants and venues that drum up foot traffic and, in turn, help neighboring businesses.
“That’s what a thriving downtown does,” Doreen said.
‘It’s the best’
Regarding Bodhi’s lox plate, you can tell Utzman lived and cooked in New York for several years.
Eugene might not have that special New York water, but the bagel is chewy, the chive cream cheese is appropriately thick, and the briny capers and pickled red onion are a bright treat atop cured salmon.
The avocado toast has perfectly fanned, ripe avocado and is perked up by pickled radish. But the true star is the seeded wheat sourdough: Nutty and slightly sweet and robust, it is as bread should be, not the bleached sawdust found in so many mass-produced flours.
Those seeking comfort food can order hot buttermilk biscuits with gravy that boasts big chunks of sausage and mushrooms. And savory pastry lovers would be remiss not to try the shatteringly crisp spinach, feta and artichoke danish.
For something lighter, a fresh fruit smoothie, perhaps. The Bees Knees in particular tastes like banana bread in frozen drink form.
Utzman said he trains baristas on guiding customers to the coffee drink they want. When someone asks for a “macchiato,” for example, do they mean the two-ounce Italian macchiato or the version popularized by Starbucks?
Utzman has been a chef for more than 30 years. His business model at Bodhi reflects that, down to the amount of Kalamata pesto that goes on every tuna melt and the layering order of each sandwich.
“Yes, it’s a sandwich, but it’s the best sandwich,” he said. “It’s composed from a chef’s point of view.”
Utzman wants his cafe to be known for healthy food and drink, done right. It’s what he experienced years ago in Hawaii, where he drank fresh-pressed juices and acai bowls (which Bodhi sells) and hatched the idea to open a cafe.
It was also the same trip he made plans to pick up his new puppy, Bodhi.
“At the end of the day, people just want something good,” Utzman said.
If you go
Bodhi Cafe & Bakery is at 810 Willamette St. in Eugene and is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.
The cafe offers a full coffee program along with breakfast and lunch fare, including sourdough and bagel sandwiches, savory bowls, smoothies, açaí bowls and rotating pastries. Gluten-friendly and vegan options are available.
