The best origin stories tend to start by accident. Mik Lane's started with a carrot cake he had never actually made.
When Mik applied to The Culinary School of Fort Worth, he needed a letter of recommendation — so naturally, he asked his best friend. In that letter, his friend swore Mik had made the best carrot cake he’d ever tasted. There was just one problem: Mik had never made a carrot cake in his life.
When Mik pointed that out, his friend didn’t blink:
“Well, you better figure it out in case they call you on it.”
So he did. The carrot cake was incredible. He started giving samples to friends and coworkers, then tried another dessert, and another. Within six weeks, he was taking more orders than he could keep up with. He’s been baking ever since — and chasing every chance to learn more.
A sandwich shop that became a bakery
A sandwich shop that became a bakery Mik graduated from CSFTW in March 2025. Funny enough, a bakery wasn’t even the plan — at first, he was set on opening a sandwich shop. The pivot came through the school itself.
“CSFTW has been instrumental in this. A bakery wasn’t my plan initially — it was a sandwich shop. However, the amazing couple behind all of the Bowie Hills concept reached out to the school about needing someone to help execute their vision for the bakery/eatery. My name came up. We were connected and it just made sense for all of us. Their vision, my skill set, and our shared passion for giving back to the community seemed like destiny. It would have never happened if I hadn’t attended.”
That’s the part we’re proudest of: the training, the connections, and the reputation that opened a door Mik didn’t even know he was walking toward.
So, what is The Morning Bar?
It’s a bit of a hybrid — not just a bakery, and not just a coffee bar. The Morning Bar will pour fresh-squeezed and pressed juices and cold brew variations on tap, stock grab-and-go breakfast and lunch, bake fresh breads, pastries, and treats, and even serve dine-in entrées. Everything is made in house, from scratch — right down to the dressing on the salads and the bread on the sandwiches.
But the food is only half of it. The Morning Bar is built to feel like home.
“We are community driven and absolutely focused on that, first and foremost. ‘For neighbors, by neighbors’ is a big part of our mission statement. This was created to be a cornerstone of the neighborhood, where the entire family feels not only comfortable, but welcomed.”
Why “The Morning Bar”
The name came together organically — over conversation, the way the best ideas do. As the team talked through the kind of place they wanted to build, the same word kept coming up: Cheers. Mik’s background is on the bar and nightclub side of the industry, and that’s the piece he held onto — a spot where you can sit down at the bar top next to a total stranger and walk away having had a genuinely great time over genuinely great food.
The idea was simple: start your morning at the bar. Redefine mornings entirely. The Morning Bar.
Right across from where it started
Here’s the full-circle part. The Morning Bar is opening at 6521 Camp Bowie Blvd — directly across the street from CSFTW, tucked between RaceTrac and Braum’s. It’s part of the larger Bowie Hills project that’s set to revitalize the entire block. The kitchen that trained Mik is now, quite literally, across the street from his first business.
A hard opening date isn’t set yet — the team is aiming for early fall (late September / early October). The best way to catch the announcement is to follow along:
- Instagram: @themorningbartx · @bowiehills
- Web: www.themorningbar.com
Built for the neighborhood
Ask Mik what drives the whole thing, and he’ll point to a line he loves about small business:
“‘Shop where your neighbors work.’ I love that. It’s not just about us giving back to the community — it’s about the community giving back to itself. We just help facilitate that.”
That’s a fitting note for a CSFTW story. Mik turned a bluff about a carrot cake into a craft, a craft into a calling, and a calling into a cornerstone for his neighborhood — all a stone’s throw from where he trained. Congratulations, Mik. We’ll see you at the counter.
Ready to start your own culinary career?
Careers — and businesses — like Mik’s begin with the right training and a place that takes your ambition seriously. Explore the programs at The Culinary School of Fort Worth and take the first step.
The Culinary School of Fort Worth proudly celebrates the success of our graduates. Are you a CSFTW alum with news to share — a new role, a new restaurant, a new business? We’d love to feature you. Reach out and tell us your story.
