On a foggy Thanksgiving morning, many familiar local faces headed to the long-awaited new bakery’s opening in Arrow Heights. At 8 a.m. the Little Spoon bakery & café is already bustling. The day before, owners Alexander Hartman and Alexandra Bauer – Alex & Alex – sat down with the Mountaineer to discuss their goals and aspirations in developing their entrepreneurial adventure.
Local baked goods at the Arrow Heights and Airport Way neighbourhood
After working on the project for over a year, well-known Revelstoke residents Alex and Alex officially opened the Little Spoon Bakery & Café on Oct. 14. Before starting a bakery adventure, the duo from Germany worked on a farm in Lake Country B.C. for three years prior to moving to Revelstoke in the winter of 2021. They created the Little Spoon shortly after, and what started as a side hustle quickly brought the pair to sell more and more. Among their treats offered, butter tarts, cookies and their famous pretzels gained popularity with locals and visitors alike.
Thanks to the Neighbourhood Kitchen of Community Connections, which helped them boost their production, they set up a stand at the local market in May 2022.
“We were the first renters of the kitchen I think and honestly we wouldn’t have been able to do it without it,” Alexandra explained.
If nothing was initially planned for this cheerful, hard-working pair, the success of their market stand led them to seek out a retail space in town. Despite the challenges of finding a suitable location and navigating the different regulations, they persisted in establishing a larger business, and in the spring of last year, they got the opportunity to apply for the new plaza commercial building in Mackenzie Village.
“It was our only option,” Alexander admitted. “Since we’ve been in Revelstoke, we’ve knocked on many doors but it was either too expensive or we faced rules, like we couldn’t build a kitchen for example.”
After being placed on the waiting list, they finally secured the location in September 2023.
Starting a business without prior experience in the field can be intimidating, they shared. Funding the project was a major priority for the two entrepreneurs. They obtained a start-up loan from Community Futures, which they described as the most significant financial support available to new businesses in B.C. Additionally, they have received support from private sources and generated revenue from their market sales over the past two years.
Excited to launch with an initial five-employee team, Alex and Alex are prepared to be busy for the winter season. They look forward to gaining insights into their actual costs and envisioning their future in the months and years ahead.
When discussing the process of opening a business in Canada, they shared that it was hard and not facilitated, with a lack of grants.
“If we didn’t have such a good following in the market and this opportunity here at Mackenzie Village, this probably wouldn’t be possible for us,” Alexander added.
Partnering with other local businesses and view for the future
Open from Thursday to Tuesday, Little Spoon provides seasonal breakfast, lunch and other baked goods for locals, employees and town visitors. With the same idea of what they did on the market, Alex & Alex wanted a European-style bakery with rotating products and no fixed menu.
“People come in and see what’s in the display,” Alexandra said.
Taking advantage of the neighbourhood’s development and the economic potential it can bring, the duo bet on what is advertised as a prime location in town in the next couple of years, halfway between town and Revelstoke Mountain Resort.
With roughly 200 apartments at ‘the plaza’ right now, Little Spoon is at the heart of a growing hub of local businesses and short-term residents, offering easy access to fresh baked goods all day.
Grateful for the community’s support they have gained over the years, Alex and Alex have partnered with other local businesses, such as Holm coffee, Vanessa St-Yves for her arts decorating the place, B&A sausages and more. They also hope to work with local farms and offer ice cream during the summer.
The Little Spoon Bakery & Café is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The team aims to open seven days a week in the near future.
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