Daily Fare: A ‘Very Different’ Bakery at Bethel’s Train Station

Business: Daily Fare
Owners: Robin Grubard & Rob Wallace
Address: In the Bethel Train Station! 13 Durant Ave.
Website: http://dailyfare.net

How did you come up with the name?
Well, we're located in a train station. So we made a play on words... "fare" meaning "ticket" or fare meaning "food." Get it?

Why choose that location? Why start a business in this town?
We're devoted Bethel townies, and former commuters. The station was sitting empty and it just seemed like a great opportunity. We can actually walk to work on nice days. Plus, we like trains.

Briefly, what business are you in?
We're a "very different" bakery cafe (that also operates a mini-culinary school).

What's the most difficult moment or challenge you've faced as a business owner?
Our original business model was to sell prepared meals to commuters when they got off the train in the evening. We found that most commuters, after a long day of work, just want to get home as quickly as possible. So we changed our focus to wholesale/retail bakery cafe and have done very well.

Were there any challenges that made you second guess your decision to be an entrepreneur?
Never. Wouldn't change a thing.

What's been your favorite moment or proudest achievement since opening?
There have been many, including the recent launch of our new lunch menu. But the proudest moments are when customers and wholesale clients rave (to us and others) about our food!

What's the most innovative idea your employees or customers have had that you put into practice?
A lot of our bakery products started out as a customer request. Raspberry bars, magic bars, and some of our scone varieties all started with a customer's suggestion.

How do you deal with difficult customers?
We don't have those.

How does your business give back or get involved in the community?
We frequently donate food to area charities and organizations. We're proud members of the Chamber of Commerce. We support local vendors whenever possible (our coffee is roasted a couple blocks away by Redding Roasters, in-season produce comes from local farms, and we use only Connecticut dairy). We like to think that everything we do is a form of giving back to the community.

This article is part of Patch's series highlighting local businesses in our community. Learn more about the series, and if you're a small business, fill out the form to be included, by checking out this link.