Baker and pastry chef Bethany Zito has spent the past two summers selling scratchmade baked goods and confectionery from a booth at the Hubbard Farmers’ Market. In 2020, she’s taking it to the next level with her very own shop — excuse me — “shoppe.”
Her new upscale, artisan bakery, dubbed B’s Bake Shoppe, is the next business slated to open at the Dahlia in downtown Canby. It’s the culmination of a dream she’s harbored ever since she started in the industry 16 years ago.
“I started out baking breads, then got into pastries and the fancy, plates deserts,” she said. “I’ve been playing around a lot with different flavors.”
The past two summers at the Hubbard Farmers Market were eye-opening, and encouraging.
“It was super successful, and I got to meet a lot of people,” she said. “There’s really a need for breads and pastries in the south Portland area.”
She plans to focus on artisan sourdough breads, pretzels and other fresh-baked goods that might be hard to find without a trip deeper into the Portland metro. At B’s Bake Shoppe, you’ll find breakfast pastries and other staples, but also a few things you might not expect.
“I really like to do homemade ice cream, all different flavors,” she said. “And I’ve been working on a line of candy bars, trying to make my own version of stuff like Snickers and Almond Joy.”
She summed up these unique creations as “big, fat candy bars.” And her mission?
“Just bringing some fun to the bakery scene.”
Wholesale will also be a big part of her business, as she looks to supply local restaurants, cafes, stores and other outlets with fresh goods baked right here in town.
“There’s a real need for locally baked breads at stores and restaurants here, but sometimes, they have to go all the way up to Portland, just to get something local-ish,” she said. “So, I’m going to try to feed that market and get a piece of that pie.”
The Shoppe will have an open kitchen concept with communal and counter seating. They’ll have grab-and-go sales, and serve drip coffee for those who’d rather dine in and linger.
“It will be a nice, comfy place,” she said. “I’m going to play around with the honeybee theme a little bit, with some yellows and browns.”
B’s Bake Shoppe is planned to open in April 2020, next to Canby Gifts & Toys.
