Coffee Connections: An Interview with Sweet Arts Bakery in Geneseo

The Owl Interviews Sweet Arts Bakery in Geneseo, NY. Sweet Arts Bakery is owned by Ruth Lewis

Owl Light News:

How did you come to be a coffee house?

Sweet Arts Bakery:

I didn’t intend to be a coffee house!  My original business plan was to be a specialty cake shop, since I’ve always loved baking cakes for people.  But when I found a large storefront in Avon, and found that Evening Star Coffee Roaster was in Avon, I knew I needed to add coffee.  And when you have coffee, you need a muffin. And a cookie. And a cinnamon roll!  Our first day was Nov 15, 2011.

Even though we had a small, steady number of front-end customers in our Avon location, we were doing quite well with special order cakes, and then with farmers markets during the summer and fall.  Since we would sell out every week in Geneseo, we knew we had a good market opportunity there.  While looking for a place to wholesale our products, we found out that there was a storefront that had just become available.  Sweet Arts Bakery in Geneseo opened its doors in Feb, 2015.  Towards the end of the year, we realized we needed to focus our energies on only one location, so we sadly closed the shop in Avon.

Owl:

Who are the people behind the scenes and front of the house that keep you going?

Sweet Arts:

We are a family run business, that includes myself, Ruth Ann, the head baker, manager, and visionary, along with my husband Brian, a science teacher in Mt Morris.  Aidan and Annie work during the summers and college breaks, and young Brian is learning the fine art of dishwashing and cake pop dipping!  We have a wonderful staff of current Geneseo students and alumni, as well as some “townies”!

Owl:

Who roasts your coffee?

Sweet Arts:

As previously mentioned, Jody Wolfanger of Evening Star Coffee is the main reason we are a coffee house.  His personal attention to his coffee and customers help us offer a high quality product, which is also locally roasted.

Owl:

In what ways does your venue expand and encourage community connections?

Sweet Arts:

When we started developing the Geneseo store, our landlord had received a Main St grant, so we basically started with a gutted storefront, an empty palate.  His architect, Dave Matthews, helped develop the layout, including the exposed brick, and the light-filled windows.  I wanted a place that was bright, kind of like my Grandma’s kitchen, but still warm and cozy.  Our first manager, Billy O’Donnell, also helped frame the vision of the Geneseo store.  His vivaciousness and charm set the tone, even after he moved back downstate.   

Owl:

Other than coffee, what offerings do you have that make your place special?

Sweet Arts:

I knew that we would be able to attract the college students (if you give them a cookie, they will come!), but I wanted to make sure we were also able to serve community members, high school students, faculty, as well as the myriad of visitors to the area, so we weren’t just a college-year coffee house.  I think we have been able to achieve that, since we also offer light lunches, ice cream, and what have been described as “the best cinnamon rolls I have had in my life”!

Owl:

How would you describe the people you serve?

Sweet Arts:

We want to pop the college bubble, by giving our student-staff and customers an opportunity to interact normally with non-students.   One of my favorite scenes was when a professor was sharing a table with her 4 year old son, and some of her students came in and got to meet the little guy. We’ve also hosted several teen open mics for the incredibly talented locals students, which also expands our demographics.

Owl:

Every space has an atmosphere, a feel that distinguishes it.  How would describe the “mood” at Sweet Arts Bakery?  

Sweet Arts:

“Connection” has always been a big thing for us.  Our sign, “Sit long. Talk much

.” is kind of a motto.  With the world we live in, we need to be able to connect with one another, to shake a hand to congratulate a job promotion, or offer a hug to a lonely freshman.  While most days you’ll find many tables filled with laptops and cell phones. We hope that a smile, and sincere, “How’s it going?”, will be a connection someone might need that day.

Owl:

What else makes Sweet Arts Bakery special?

Sweet Arts (and Owl!):

Those cinnamon rolls, of course!