Guests who’ve visited the West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe Cafe, 6832 W. Becher St., on weekends have already had the opportunity to get a taste of some of the delectable treats (namely pie) that will be sold at The Bake Sale, a new bakery slated to open just after Memorial Day weekend in West Allis.
The new bakery, which will sell a wide variety of baked goods, breads and DIY mixes, is planning its soft opening for June 4, with a grand opening to follow on Saturday, June 12.
Behind the new bakery is Mark Lutz, the West Allis business owner behind the West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe, Becher Meats and Station No. 6, who purchased the former dentist office at 6923 W. Becher St. in October, transforming the space into a sleek, modern 975 square foot retail shop.
“After I opened Becher Meats, everyone kept telling me: ‘Mark, now we need a bakery in the area.’” Lutz says. “So I took their advice and went for it.
The plan came together when Allison Collard, who’d been laid off from her job during the pandemic, applied for a job at Becher Meats.
“When Mark [Lutz] saw my application,” she says, “He reached out to me and asked if I was interested in running the new bakery.” The obvious answer was “Yes.”
Collard, an MATC pastry graduate who worked with Stone Creek Bakery, Classy Girl Cupcakes and the Honeypie Cafe Bakeshop in Bay View, says the offer couldn’t have come at a better time.
“I’ve been doing this for ten years, and I love what I do; so this kind of feels like a dream,” she says. “I’ve opened bakeries before; but here been involved in every step of the way, and I’m really excited to bring this to the community.”
What to expect
The shop is already coming together nicely, showcasing modern design with details that tie it together with other Lutz properties on the block, including white tile reminiscent of that at Becher Meats and an exposed brick wall not unlike the exterior of Station No. 6.
As for The Bake Sale’s offerings, they will include housemade pies (most made with butter-based pie crust) offered in flavors like cherry, key lime, French silk, whiskey chocolate caramel swirl, banana, coconut, strawberry cheesecake, mixed berry, creme brulee pie (honey chess pie). Collard says she’ll also offer select vegan pies featuring crusts made with shortening.
There will also be savory quiches, savory pasties, cupcakes (including vegan), housemade cookies, brownies, gallettes and other desserts like mousse cups, parfaits and ice cream sandwiches made with Sassy Cow ice cream.
But – much like a bake sale – the shop will also be stocked with a variety of baked goods from a laundry list of other local brands including Allie Boys Bagelry & Luncheonette in Walker’s Point (bagels); Breadsmith; The Cake Lady in St. Francis; Canfora Bakery in Bay View; Cranky’s inn Wauwaosa; Molly’s Gluten Free Bakery in Pewaukee; Simma’s Bakery in Wauwatosa; Stone Creek Bakery in Walker’s Point; Troubadour Bakery in Bay View; Wild Flour Bakery in South Milwaukee.
Shoppers will also find packaged Wisconsin-made baking mixes (including gluten-free options), sourdough starter and baking-adjacent products like honey, jams and more.
“Folks can also drop by and grab freshly brewed coffee and warm quiche or morning bun for breakfast,” says Lutz, noting that the shop will be brewing up a basic menu of coffee drinks using Stone Creek Coffee.
The Bake Sale will also be rooted in the community, says Lutz, with a percentage of sales donated to charity partners, which will be crowd-sourced on a monthly basis.
Once open, The Bake Sale’s hours will be Tuesday through Thursday from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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