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Red Truck Bakery Replaces Mom's in Old Town
Red Truck Bakery will soon be pulling into the refurbished former gas station on Waterloo Street in Old Town Warrenton, a site presently occupied by Mom's Apple Pie, with plans to sell its own label “high octane, unleaded” coffee among its tasty selections.
“It seems meant to be,” said bakery owner Brian Noyes. “I can't wait.”
And neither can most of Red Truck's customers.
While Mom's Apple Pie will be missed, owner Avis Renshaw will still have locations in Leesburg and Occoquan, along with an online store, for devoted Fauquier customers willing to make the drive or surf the Web.
Knowing that Noyes was looking for commercial space in Warrenton, Renshaw contacted him after she decided to cut back the number of her own bakery locations. Noyes said the location had been on his short list. “I love that old place. It was atop my list.”
And his first choice became a reality last week as he signed a lease with plans to open May 1.
Noyes has much to accomplish during prior to opening. He is purchasing signs and some additional equipment. He plans to streamline the space with a simple design and new counters, but said “there is no major overhaul. It's as seamless a change [of ownership] as there ever was. The timing is great...getting ready for spring, a new beginning.”
But the sequence of events is good for several other reasons. Previously, Noyes had been an art director for various national magazines, but was also professionally trained at several highly respected culinary institutes. He had been thinking about a change “for years and years” and decided to switch careers from art direction to specialty food production about three years ago. With print publications undergoing a downturn, friends told him, “this is a great time to make a change. Your timing is great.”
While Noyes has been baking at his Orlean farmhouse, everything will now be made at the Warrenton location. He will continue to offer all of his bread products, pastries and pies, but he plans to add grab-to-go entrees, sandwiches, soups and salads. “The coffee will bring [customers] in, but the desserts and breads will bring them back,” he said.
Red Truck Bakery will continue to use local, seasonal foods. Noyes' sandwiches will have only local tomatoes, for example; when they're not in season, tomatoes will not be used. Noyes said he offers his popular sour cherry pie only when sour cherries are in season. Frozen or canned fruits are never used in the bakery's desserts.
Noyes said he hasn't figured out this staffing needs, but Mom's Apple Pie Warrenton manager Carly LaScola will remain. LaScola, Noyes said, has “a bakery background” and may spend most of her time in the kitchen. That arrangement seems fine with LaScola. "We haven't had time to discuss just what I'll be doing," she said.
LaScola has enjoyed working with Renshaw. "Avis is like family. She is down-to-earth and warm-hearted. She had full faith in me to run [the Warrenton bakery] I've been very emotional since she told me [the store was closing]," she said.
According to LaScola, the economy had some part in the decision to close the Warrenton location, which is the farthest of the three locations from Renshaw's Loudoun County farm. "It was a tough decision [for Renshaw]," LaScola said. "She put a lot of work in this building, and she still has mixed emotions about [closing]."
LaScola plans to help Renshaw empty the store after it closes on April 11. She will then take a short vacation before resuming work. She said she is looking forward to working with Noyes. "I've heard wonderful things about his baking."
She added that he will probably keep the ovens running all day, and that seemed to please her. "I like to keep busy," she said.
And from the sound of things, Noyes plans to be busy, as well. “Warrenton is a really friendly, cheery place," he said. "I would love to hear from the community as to what they want [at Red Truck Bakery].”
For more information on both bakeries, visit RedTruckBakery.com and momsapplepieco.com.
E-mail the reporter: afelts@timespapers.com.
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