Following nearly a decade of hustling at farmers market booths and pop-up shops, local bakers Eric and Deanna Keilty are looking forward to welcoming the community to their brand-new bakery space on State Street in Geneva.

Gather Bakery’s grand opening will take place on Saturday, May 4.

You may recognize them from the ever-popular Batavia Boardwalk Shops and a recent Geneva popup — both of which served as opportunities for them to cut their teeth in the professional bake-shop world.

But their entrepreneurial story has even more humble beginnings.

About eight years ago, Eric started baking sourdough loaves and croissants in their Arizona home kitchen to sell at a small market. As their baking repertoire grew to include Deanna's cookies, scones, and other sweet treats, their dreams grew too.

As is the case with many modern COVID-era entrepreneurs, the pandemic and a resulting layoff was the catalyst they needed to transition from side-hustle to full-time.

Just a few short months after that leap of faith, the family relocated to St. Charles (Deanna's hometown). Here they restarted their operation, quickly becoming fixtures at local farmers markets and events, eventually joining the Batavia Boardwalk Shops and running the winter popup shop in the Geneva Commons.

A permanent storefront was the logical next step.

"We are lucky to have found this perfect spot on State Street in Geneva to be our first 'real' bakery now," Deanna said. “We’re building out the kitchen, doing some renovations and hope to open the first week of May.”

If you’re into baked goods, get ready for everything from sourdough and focaccia to French breads and baguettes. They’re also known for croissants, cinnamon rolls, scones, macarons, caramels, fudge and decorated cookies.

With Graham’s 318 Coffee House and Hahn’s Bakery having recently closed up shop in Geneva, a real gap has materialized. Gather Bakery is ready to fill the void — and they’re invested in this community.

"I think my favorite part about living here and opening our bakery here is the people," Deanna said. "This is such a great area, and it's filled with such supportive and welcoming people. We have so many regulars who have been cheering us on, and that definitely makes all the difference!"

The aroma of fresh-baked bread and pastries will be wafting through downtown Geneva very soon. Follow Gather Bakery on Facebook to stay up-to-date on what’s happening.

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