Randy Umfleet always looks to bake something masterful be it cookies, cupcakes or a specialty cake. So when he faced the prospect of moving, the owner of
Whipped Bakery concocted a creative solution that could take the cake.
Since April, Umfleet has set up shop inside
Roma Bakery Deli and Fine Foods after agreeing to relocate and make way for the Creole—Old Town's up and coming restaurant, bar and performance venue. Not wanting to lose momentum, Umfleet arranged through friends to keep baking and offering his delectable desserts through Roma's kitchen. He also began laying the groundwork for opening a new retail space at 1209 Turner, just across the street from the location where he had operated for about 13 months.
"Everything is going great," Umfleet says. "I just love working with Roma. They're just fantastic people."
Umfleet is referring to Mena and Sostine Castriciano—the owners of the long-standing Roma Bakery, now up for sale after nearly 50 years. Umfleet isn't ruling out the possibility of purchasing the bakery. But for now, he's simply baking up his confections in Roma's full kitchen, and selling them to customers through pre-order and pick-up.
Come July, Umfleet will open the doors on his recreated retail outlet in Old Town. At 1,000 square feet, the new space will be slightly larger than his previous store, and will seat about 50 people. The new Whipped will feature all new furniture and fixtures within a simple, urban atmosphere where customers can enjoy specialty bakery items, coffee drinks, juices and more. Umfleet says he will bake everything at Roma, then deliver each morning to the retail location.
"I'm just excited about the future of Whipped," says Umfleet as he reflects on the possibilities of buying Roma as well as his new Old Town digs. "The potential to have two locations is nothing but positive."
Source: Randy Umfleet, Owner, Whipped
Writer: Ann Kammerer, News Editor
Got a story idea for Capital Gains Development News? Email Ann Kammerer here.
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