Amy Felker acknowledges that not every choice she’s made in life was a good one, but she believes you can’t appreciate the good things if you don’t have some rotten experiences along the way.
“I am where I am because of the choices I made, and I wouldn’t change a thing,” said Felker, owner of Notting Hill Coffee Roastery aka Lewes Bake Shoppe.
Amy grew up in Westchester, N.Y., and after attending Hartwick College, she moved to Ocean City, Md., with her business partner at the time. She started working in a T-shirt store, and not long after that, she decided to open her own business. Looking around for a place to do that, they visited Lewes in 1989. Talking with people on the street, she found out people wanted to see a bakery come to town. Not knowing anything about the bakery business, she found an Amish and Mennonite-run bakery in Little Heaven, and they taught her how to bake. She opened the doors of her store on Second Street in 1990. At one point, she and her partner owned a second store in Rehoboth and a kiosk in the outlets. When the partnership dissolved, she elected to keep the store in Lewes and has never looked back. She was only 22 at the time, but with the strong work ethic she inherited from her parents, she never considered that failure was a possibility.
“I was so lucky to end up where I did. In fact, I consider myself to be an extremely lucky person. Hug me and play the lottery,” said Amy.
After 34 years in business, the only thing she would change is to have hired more help over the years instead of trying to do so much herself.
“I have treasured my staff immensely through the years. I just didn’t have enough of them,” she said.
Amy does most of the food making and prep before the early morning bakers arrive. That means coming in at around 7 p.m. and staying up most of the night to make sure there are fresh goodies for customers the next morning – seven days per week. Amy says it’s hard not to focus on the business when you’re the sole proprietor. She is accountable for all the coffee and pastries sold in her shop.
Amy believes one of the best things that ever happened to her was Starbucks. With the company becoming a national brand, coffee became ubiquitous. Coffee is the kind of relatively inexpensive purchase that someone can treat themselves to every day. Unlike Starbucks, Amy roasts her beans on site, which means a fresher cup of coffee – either in the store or at home if people purchase the beans in bulk. Amy estimates that she roasts about 35,000 pounds of coffee beans every year.
“If you buy my beans to take home, store them in a cool, dry, airtight place. Don’t store them in your refrigerator, or they’ll absorb the flavors of your leftover Kung Pao chicken,” she said.
When asked about which of her coffees she likes the most, she admits to a weakness for Kona and Jamaican Blue Mountain, but those beans are less plentiful, making them more expensive. She said one can enjoy a cup of Costa Rican or Papua New Guinea that has some of the same flavor profiles for less money. She enjoys beans that are grown in a higher location, because the higher the altitude, the more flavor in the beans. She also recommends coffees from Indonesia. Those beans are grown at higher altitudes and are naturally low in acid, which makes for a richer cup of coffee. Amy’s favorite beverage is black espresso over ice. Iced coffees tend to get sweeter. Amy also guarantees her coffees.
She said, “If you don’t like the coffee you bought, bring it back and I’ll exchange it for something else you might like. I want customers for life.”
In looking five to 10 years down the road, Amy said she will continue to offer a variety of pastries, including sugar-free and gluten-free choices, as that’s what customers want these days. She’d also like to take some time off at some point. That means either finding someone else with her skill set and standards for baking, or selling the business.
“I’m so lucky to live and work in Lewes, and that will never change for me. It’s an amazing, sweet town,” she said.
Amy loves the fact that people in Lewes look at her store as a place to gather. She admits she has her moments of frustration, but that never influences her attitude toward life and people.
“Think of me like the name of the pizza restaurant across the street – Half Full,” she said. “I always look at the world like my glass is half full.”
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This column provides an opportunity for readers to connect with the personal side of business leaders in area communities. Many of our local business owners and CEOs are thought leaders in their community, and they can provide valuable insights and ideas on issues of common interest to all of us. Successful businesses are essential for a healthy and growing society, especially as people continue to move to this area looking for employment opportunities. This column will highlight leaders who are not only successful, but also making a difference in our communities.
Jeffrey Fried has been an executive in the healthcare industry for over 40 years, including serving as the president/CEO of Beebe Medical Center for 24 years. After leaving Beebe Healthcare, Jeff started his own consulting and executive coaching company, and has coached executives in a variety of industries. In addition, Jeff has partnered with a company called Vistage, the oldest executive coaching company in the country, where he serves as a local chair on the Delmarva Peninsula and leads/supports a group of medium-sized business owners and CEOs. Jeff and his wife Sherry reside outside Lewes and between the two of them have three children and five grandchildren. Last but not least, they are the parents of two rescue dogs.
