Ella's expands in Harrowsmith

Jan 12, 2012

Photo: Ella with one of her daughter Kristen's “Barbie” cakes and store clerk Tracey

Ella Vanderburgt, owner of Ella's Cafe and Bakery located at 4946 Road 38, has recently expanded her enterprise. Little did she know that in meeting her most recent goal of moving the bakery side of her business across the road to an empty section of the Starkes Convenience store, she would also become that store’s new owner.

Both the café and the bakery have been steadily increasing in business since they were opened a year ago.

“I approached Burt Starke in September about leasing the empty space beside the store in the hopes of relocating the bakery there since the bakery business has been outgrowing its current location,” Ella said earlier this week.

In fact, Burt Starke has been hoping to sell the store for years, and when Ella approached him, he told her that if he didn't sell the store by December he would be closing it down.

“I knew that I needed a bigger space so I thought, why not take on the store as well? By taking it over I knew I could meet my own needs for the bakery and also keep the 20-year-old store alive, which I feel is a business in the community that many local residents really depend on.”

Ella has since completely restocked the store with all new inventory, including all of the typical convenience items and said that she plans to expand the fresh produce section as well and will be able to offer competitive prices to customers looking to buy fresh produce.

With the help of her husband and brother-in-law, she renovated the bakery side of the store, which once was operated as a video rental but which has stood empty for years. The renovations included redoing the electrical wiring and plumbing, laying a new tile floor, and painting, as well as installing two Doyer ovens and new shelves and work tables.

Ella's sister Colleen, and youngest daughter Kristen, will continue running the bakery side of the business, which now makes up 25% of the overall business, in the new space. The bakery will continue to offer customers a variety of fresh baked pies, bars, cookies, donuts and breads. “My goal in the move is also to begin wholesaling our baked goods which is something that we could not have done if we had remained at the old location,” Ella said.

Meanwhile, across the street, the café has taken over the former bakery side of the business. It now offers more tables and can seat upwards of 60 diners. Ella informs me it fills up completely at least once a day. She is also planning to add a few new items on her weekly menu.

During our interview one longtime customer stopped in to pick up one of Ella’s infamous potato donuts, a popular seller derived from an old family recipe that Ella’s sister Colleen has perfected over the years.

Ella also invited me to sample her famous short bread cookies, which come in a variety of six different flavors and I tasted the chocolate-dipped shortbreads that melt in your mouth.

Ella definitely has her work cut out for her and says there are “not enough hours in the day… Ever since I opened it’s been a matter of playing catch up. Business is booming and I love all of the challenges that go along with it.”

Ella also does her own books and cooks the morning shift at the café, which means days that start at 4:30 AM.

What's next, I ask? She hesitates, then says, “I have another dream business that I'd love to open - an indoor running track with walls of flat screen TVs since I don't get outside to run much anymore and only have time to run on a treadmill at home; but we’ll see about that.

The store is open 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, Sunday 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. The Café is open 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. every day.