Maybe a bakery

Yesterday, as my mother-in-law was driving us through town, we passed a bakery that had the 'for sale' sign on the window.  Pete and I decided to check it out and we were there this morning.  When we got there, the door was ajar but there was a chair blocking the entrance with a sign that said the bakery was closed for the summer.  But I was really drawn to it as a delicious aroma was coming from inside. 

We peeked through the windows and saw a quaint little bakery with a neat counter top, empty display case and some tables and chairs neatly arranged beside the other window.  Behind the counter, a doorway led to the kitchen.  I couldn't see how big the kitchen was.  But I could see from the decor that the bakery had been around for quite some time.

Pete called out for attention but no one seemed to have heard him.  We waited for awhile, hoping for the owner to come out so that we could talk to her and maybe have a look inside, but it was in vain.  I, however, saw that the real estate company that was dealing with the sale of the bakery was located just across the street.

We crossed the street and went inside.  But the guy that was in charge of the listing was on vacation.  Summer is really a popular time for the Swedes to go on long vacations.  Anyway, we got his number from his colleague but when Pete tried to call, he couldn't get through.  I guess we would have to try calling him again next week.

I really like the look of the bakery.  It is located at the corner of the building and is quite visible from the road.  There is a school just beside the building and there are lots of residential apartments around the area.  There is a big, new mall just down the road and in the other direction, the town centre is just a few blocks away.

The size of the bakery is also just right.  There is enough room for maybe three small tables and a couple of seats at the left corner and enough space for shelves and display cases on the other side.  The bakery also looks to be in a good condition and wouldn't need too much renovation work.  I hope the kitchen is in a good condition too.

Ever since I saw the bakery, I have been thinking about the types of products that I would like to sell.  Having peeked through other bakeries, I can see that many of them here sell the same stuff and that there is not as many varieties as those back home.  There are usually just one or two types of cream cakes, a chocolate cake, brownies, a cheesecake, a carrot cake and maybe some muffins.  There are also danish pastries, bread and their Swedish favourites such as the chocolate balls.

I am thinking of introducing buns such as cheese buns, custard buns and curry buns.  Perhaps I can make the coffee buns like the Roti Boy craze a few years back, since the Swedes love coffee.  I also want to make more types of cakes such as strawberry cake, mango cake, chocolate mousse cake and tiramisu cake.  With school kids nearby, I would make the chocolate chip cookie lollipops and other kiddy-friendly stuff.

I am getting ahead of myself here since I don't know if we would be able to snag the bakery but it is fun to think about it.  And there is no harm in planning ahead.  I can get the recipes ready and maybe try them out on Pete and his family and friends to get some feedback.  I haven't lived here long enough to know the tastes and preferences of the Swedes so their feedback will be important.  Since my days are relatively free for now, I guess I can start soon.  And yes, I will post the successful recipes here as well.  Watch this space!