YARMOUTH — New York City’s loss is Yarmouth’s gain.
Spun Bakery (pronounced “spoon” – the u is an umlaut) is now open at 317 Main Community Music Center, located at 317 Main St.
Spun is the creation of Don Gaile, whose long and winding career path with interconnecting vocational links prepared him for this venture. He works alongside his staff, as does a conductor who also plays an instrument in the orchestra.
He said he isn’t getting a lot of sleep each night, maybe five hours. It’s enough to keep him going, though.
Perhaps his energy is drawn from earlier in his working career in New York City. Business administration, finance, film, communications and customer service skills all blend into the employee and employer who Gaile now is.
As Spun’s website notes, his food connections began at an early age watching his grandmother cook and bake. By the early to mid-80s, the Manhattan-based Silver Palate shop and the foodie revolution it launched in its cookbooks further inspired him.
Fast forward three decades to Gaile’s move to Maine to raise a family. What could he do to make a living and a new life?
He started at the Yarmouth Farmers Market, baking items for sale. He built up a following. Professional contacts he made as a farmers market vendor continue.
“We also try to work with as many local partners as possible,” he said a few days after the bakery and cafe opened March 27.
Gaile and his staff’s workday begins at 3:30 a.m. to bake off morning pastries, scones and muffins for an 8 a.m. opening. Items are baked off site and soon, that will change.
“We’re planning over the next several weeks to alter the kitchen and then bake on site,” he said.
A to-do list written in step-by-step fashion comes in handy at 4 a.m., keeping everyone focused. He hired locally; two professional bakers and two people focused on customer service. Repeat sales are the lifeblood of a retail shop.
Everything is made from scratch, including croissants and pain au chocolat. Seasonal fruits from Maine are used in recipes. Gluten-free items also are for sale.
The croissants take at least five hours to make, each flaky layer of the French classic distinct from the next layer.
Coffees, teas, cocoa, chutney, jam, granola, yogurt and honey also are offered. People can take their purchases for the ride to work or home. Or, spend some time sipping, chewing and relaxing at the cafe inside 317 Main.
Spun is a custom-order shop, too. If one has a craving for a particular cake, cookie or pie, it can be made to order. Birthday cakes also are a specialty. Even the graham crackers used in a Italian ricotta cheesecake are made by hand at Spun.
Presentation is king at Spun. From orange chocolate chip scones to double crumb cake (now a top seller) to lemon vanilla custard loaf, each item beckons to be enjoyed. Including deep-chocolate brownies, decorated on top with the umlaut symbol, which at Spun, is a bold “u” with two dots as eyes above, as in a smile.
“(Gaile is) not lying,” Spun associate Shelby Noiles said. “He won’t sell anything if it doesn’t look perfect.”
317 Main and its mission pairs well with Spun.
“We’re always looking for ways to bring the community together,” Amy Sinclair, marketing and communications director at 317 Main, said. “Having delicious baked goods and coffee is a part of that.”
Students young and less young take music lessons at 317 Main. It’s all part of building a community.
“We want those young folks and older adults to be able to meet each other and socialize after class,” Sinclair said.
Meanwhile, Gaile, 50, steps away for a minute to answer a customer’s questions about the several different cookies for sale. His answers show his enthusiasm.
“To me, it doesn’t feel like work at all,” he said.
The bakery is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. A goal would be to expand to weekend hours. To learn more about Spun Bakery, call 207-417-7097.
To learn more about music programs at 317 Main, call 207-846-9559.
Lisa D. Connell can be reached at 781-3661, ext. 183 or lconnell@theforecaster.net. Follow Lisa on Twitter: @connell_ld.
Don Gaile, baker and owner of Spun Bakery in Yarmouth, brings hard work, creativity and well-honed baking, pastry and presentation skills to his cafe at 317 Main Community Music Center.
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