Standing next to the main counter (which is adorned with homemade food and art), The Bond at Breck co-owner Jeff Edwards said he and his wife, Valerie, get the same question a lot: Where does the cafe’s name come from?

“The Bond is the bond between your soul and those big hills up there,” he said, leaning over to point out the window.

The Bond, located at 301 N. Main Street in Breckenridge, is a cafe to go, with arts and oddities, as described on its sign. But what the sign doesn’t say is that it’s the Edwards’ dream, realized.

The two came out to Summit County last November from Ohio; a move that Valerie Edwards said is the result of numerous positive signs. Like when on a whim, someone walked up and made an offer on their Ohio home, which wasn’t previously for sale.

“From there, we sold everything we had,” Valerie Edwards said. “This was our leap of faith to come out west.”

The couple had always wanted their own shop, filled with their food and art. In Ohio, the couple sold their culinary creations at farmers markets. Valerie Edwards, an “artist by trade,” used to own an art gallery. So the Edwards decided to combine the passions and open a store in Breckenridge.

“We’re very eclectic in here,” Valerie Edwards said. “We wanted things you won’t see anywhere else in town.”

Things like antique trunks re-invented, bird feeders made from olive oil bottles, or paper pony and moose sculptures crafted from Summit Daily News papers (all of the above are made by Valerie). Her photography – like one entitled “The Keeper of Breck,” which shows a fox peeking out of a French Street shed – and her prints are available for purchase. Jeff Edward’s own creations, his seasonings, rubs and sauces, are also for sale. His McGillicutty’s Irish noodle sauce – “really an Italian marinara, but since I’m Irish I have to call it that,” he said – was popular at the farmers market. Many of his seasonings make it into the everyday dishes available for take-out, like the chicken salad, which also contains cranberries, carrots, celery and a creamy dressing.

“We both just love cooking, it’s another form of art for us,” Valerie Edwards said.

The cafe items include paninis, salads, fruits, fruit tarts and treats, and are meant to either be enjoyed on the back patio, which looks out over the mountains, or on a picnic. There are antique picnic baskets available for rent, that can be attached to the beach cruisers sitting outside, also for rent.

The couple is ecstatic over their new business, and say they feel right at home in Breckenridge. They love being able to look out the windows and see the mountains, and they love the people they’re meeting everyday.

“We definitely are starting to feel like we’re a part of Breckenridge,” Valerie Edwards said. “We were meant to be right here.”

> What: Grand opening and ribbon cutting for The Bond at Breck

> When: 5 p.m., tonight

> Where: 301 N. Main Street, Breckenridge, near the base of the gondola

> There will be live music on the patio, and samples of the cafe’s offerings

> For more information, go to http://www.thebondatbreck.com or call (970) 406-8646