Rene's Bakery Inc. of Broad Ripple has opened its first satellite location, Cafe Rene, in downtown Indianapolis.

The cafe opened Tuesday morning in the Ball State Indianapolis Center at 50 S. Meridian St. It will serve European-style pasteries, plus some lunch items.

The small bakery, founded in 2004, already supplies some local retail outets and farmer's markets, including City Market, but owner Albert Rene Trevino said he has been hoping to open satellite locations as well.

"We have a nice following downtown," he said.

Rene's is leasing the 300-square-foot space  from Ball State University. The coffee shop has a few tables and will be open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Trevino hopes to add sidewalk seating in the near future.

Trevino said he learned about the empty slot downtown from a Broad Ripple customer who works in a law office upstairs from the Ball State center.