New owners take over Rising Creek Bakery in Mt. Morris
MT. MORRIS – Regular Rising Creek Bakery customers won’t notice too much of a change when they visit, except for the two new faces running the shop.
There are new cushions on the bench. The menu board is missing while new coffee drinks are to be added. But otherwise, it’s the same soup, sandwiches and goodies as before.
That’s exactly what new Rising Creek Bakery owners Tiffany Strange and Michelle Rowan want. The transition has been seamless, they said, with all the same employees and menu items.
Trista Thurston/Observer-Reporter
Trista Thurston/Observer-Reporter
Rising Creek Bakery, at 115 Main St. in Mt. Morris, will continue to bake and serve their signature salt rising bread.
“We’re actually not changing anything about the menu,” Rowan said.
Rowan owns Farmhouse Cafe in Morgantown, W.Va., so Rising Creek will be introducing more specialty coffee items.
The restaurant at 115 Main St. in Mt. Morris closed the first two weeks of January for a facelift: new paint, new upholstery, redecorating and cleaning.
Of course, Rising Creek Bakery is best known for its salt rising bread, which does not use yeast. They’ll still be shipping it across the country to anyone who wants it.
Previous owners Genevieve “Jenny” Bardwell and Susan Ray Brown stepped away from the business because they were interested in retiring, hoping to spend more time traveling. Rising Creek Bakery opened in 2010 as a way to share their love of a tradition hundreds of years in the making. The two dedicated decades to researching the former Appalachian pantry staple almost lost to a generation, collecting recipes and anecdotes that have since been published in a book.
Strange brings her own personal expertise to the mix. She was a Rising Creek employee under Bardwell before taking ownership and has even finished pastry school. And Bardwell won’t be a stranger to the bakery. She’ll continue to host classes on how to make salt rising bread in the future.
There will be a wider variety of baked goods, alongside all of their traditional staples, Strange said. Croissants, eclairs, more gluten-friendly options and rustic, artisan breads will soon make their way into the shelves of the glass case.
Trista Thurston/Observer-Reporter
Trista Thurston/Observer-Reporter
The shop will continue to serve old favorites like soups and sandwiches with more coffee options, Rising Creek owner Michelle Rowan said.
But Strange and Rowan want people to feel welcome and comfortable visiting the bakery. Just minutes from the interstate, they said it’s a great pit stop to or from Morgantown.
Rising Creek’s winter hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. When hours are expanded, the bakery is open one hour later each day. Orders can be called ahead for pickup at 724-324-5030.
For more information, visit Rising Creek’s website at risingcreekbakery.com or search for their Facebook page.