New management: Lefevre Street Bakery to reopen

MEDICAL LAKE — After seven months without baking so much as a single biscuit, the Lefevre Street Bakery and Café will once again be opening its doors for business by the end of January.

New owner Victoria Shoemaker said diehard patrons will notice few changes as she plans to keep intact the business brand, menu options and hours previously established by the former owners.

Shoemaker, who said she’d been in the food industry for “many years,” announced on social media on Saturday, Jan. 4, that she had purchased the business.

“The response we’ve gotten on Facebook already is incredible,” she said.

And although the business is not yet open, people have been wandering in

“We’ve had a dozen people already come in,” she said.

Born and raised in northwest Arkansas, Shoemaker attended Missouri State University where she “waitressed my way through college.”

There she eventually met her future husband, Ben Shoemaker, a Spokane native and now a retired Marine Corps veteran.

The couple and their two young children, ages 1- and 8-years-old, live in Ben’s multi-generational family home off Government Way near Spokane Falls Community College.

“I found a passion for it,” Shoemaker said of the food service industry. “I grew that passion over the course of the past five or so years.”

That experience taught her what works and what doesn’t, she said.

“I’ve seen things fall apart when they shouldn’t have,” Shoemaker said. “And I’ve seen people succeed, and people who don’t chase their dreams.”

A self-proclaimed dreamer, her ambitions don’t stop with owning a single bakery, she said, adding she has always wanted to own a business.

While Ben is currently a stay-at-home dad who helps with the back-end of business functions, Shoemaker said she “lost my mind” staying at home.

“I don’t know how to sit still,” she said. “I’m constantly moving forward and bettering our family situation.”

“I want my kids to grow up in it,” the 28-year-old entrepreneur said of the restaurant business. “It didn’t seem like something I should wait on.”

The bakery is Shoemaker’s first foray into business, a step she called “terrifying.”

Patrons will likely see some familiar faces as well, as she hopes to bring back as many former employees as possible.

But her biggest challenge is currently hiring employees — she currently has two openings for experienced full-time bakers. Applications can be sent to [email protected].

Like everything else, the bakery’s hours will be as before — 6:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., seven days a week.

“I’m exhilarated to be given this opportunity to continue what Kevin and Brenda built,” Shoemaker said.

Dripping condensation from the building’s HVAC system forced the unexpected closure of business in July.

While the issue has since been fully repaired, form owners Kevin and Brenda Gerhart never committed to a reopening after the closure, then later placed the business up for sale.

While Shoemaker has purchased the business, the Gerhart’s maintain ownership of the building and land and shifted to being landlords, and will be on-hand as consultants help Shoemaker get things going.

“We think Victoria is going to be an awesome fit,” Kevin said. “And we hope she takes the business to the next level.”

Lee Hughes can be reached at [email protected].