New Breadbox owners to hold Grand Opening event today!
By Shiloh Appel
Lynn and Margo Nelson, the new owners of Redfield's hometown bakery, The Breadbox, have decided to hold a fundraising event for their Grand Opening today, Dec. 6th. The event will raise money for Project 147, a nonprofit organization that helps veterans with various needs. The project, which began about a year ago, hits home for the Nelsons, as Lynn Nelson himself is part of the National Guard unit 147 out of Watertown.
"They have bought coats for homeless vets, donated $500 to support veterans' families, and spent $200 on food for homeless vets," said Margo Nelson."The two gentlemen that started it also served with Lynn overseas."
Margo said that they hope to raise $500 for the project. Meanwhile, Char's Kitchen will also be offering samples of jellies and pickles today at the Breadbox and the usual array of fresh-baked treats will be available. All are invited to stop in and get to know the Nelsons, who moved to Redfield about four years ago.
"We moved here my oldest's freshman year," said Margo. "My husband got a full-time position at the Redfield Post Office and at first he was just going to get an efficiency apartment here, but my son, Chris, was like 'No, I want to change schools.' So we all moved to Redfield."
As for how purchasing the bakery came about, Margo said it is "kind of a funny story."
"Last year we had heard that he was closing and Lynn and I discussed it a little bit. Chris came up here and flat-out asked him, 'Are you really closing?' And he said, 'Well, yeah, but not this year.' So, we just kind of didn't come talk to him about it," said Margo."Then I was in-between jobs when the article came out in the paper. The following Wednesday Lynn and I came and talked to him. We spent like four hours down here talking with him."
Margo said that she and her husband were the only ones who inquired about the bakery, aside from a gentleman who used to work at the bakery and wanted to buy it, but was unable to, due to financial reasons.
"If we wouldn't have done it, it would have closed," said Margo.
As first-time business owners, the experience is all new for the Nelsons. However, Margo said that the long nighttime hours of baking fit well with her schedule.
" I am a night-owl, and that is why this works," said Margo. "I can't sleep hardly at all at night…so this just naturally fits me."
Margo usually begins her work at the bakery at midnight and Lynn joins her at 4 a.m. The two churn out breads and pastries and keep customers happy until the bakery closes at 1p.m. Meanwhile, former owner, Mike Lee, has taken them under his wing to teach them the trade. The Nelsons have learned how to make the doughs using Lee's own recipes.
In the course of it all, the bakery is still open from 6 a.m. to 1p.m. Monday through Friday, but now offers a few new items. Along with the familiar cookies, donuts, turnovers, breads, and Angel Food cakes, the bakery has also started offering Danish pastries on Mondays and croissants on Thursdays as well as banana bread throughout the week. The Nelsons ordered a new fryer as well, so cake donuts will soon be back.
"We also started carrying Char's Jellies and are looking at being a distributor for a veteran-owned coffee company," said Margo.
One thing that the Nelsons are not currently offering, but hope to offer in the future is decorated cakes.
"Be patient with us, please," said Margo. "If we currently don't have something or don't offer something, it is not that we don't want to do it, it is the fact that we are trying to master the basics to keep needs filled. I think some people are a little frustrated that we currently can't do decorated cake, but we are trying to fill that void."
Regardless of such obstacles that come with owning a new business, Margo said she enjoys seeing and getting to know their customers each day, especially in the mornings.
"Six a.m. hits and you're like,'I'm so tired.' But when the kids start coming in, it is like they leave a little bit of their energy, so you make it through the day. That is what I like," said Margo. "A quarter after seven until a quarter after eight it is hopping with kids. You have the one who has to walk up and down the case, but she always goes back to her normal. Then I have one little kid, he reminds me of my boy, Luke, when he was that age. He walks in all grumpy with hair all over the place and points and he goes, 'that,' and I'm like, 'okay.' I [also] have one little boy who does not talk. He just points to what he wants. When I first started working with Mike, [the boy] didn't want me to wait on him, because he was used to Mike. Then, when Mike would wait on him, I would always wink at him and say 'have a good day!' So he slowly started letting me wait on him, and now he actually smiles when he walks through the door."
The Nelsons look forward to getting to know more people as they continue the nearly 100-year long tradition of having a bakery at 609 North Main Street in Redfield. Stop in at the Breadbox today to support Project 147, sample some jelly, visit with the Nelsons, or all three!
