WASECA — Sales are brisk at Barefoot Lane, a new bakery in Waseca, with owner Christa Wadekamper selling out of all of her baked goods every day to hundreds of customers.
From sourdough bread to syrup and granola, everything is popular. The Danishes, though, come in No. 1.
“People around here don’t have that many options,” Wadekamper said Friday. “It’s a fun new treat for them. It’s all made from scratch here and I think people really like that. I think the Danishes sold out in five minutes this morning. They went fast.”
Waderkamper opened the 1,200-square-foot storefront at 111 2nd St. NW in Waseca at the end of May, after buying what was formerly a laundromat and spending several months gutting and renovating it.
She made the move after selling her baked goods for years at the Waseca County Farmers Market and from a stand at her homestead in the country just south of Waseca.
When the opportunity arose to open the Waseca bakery, she jumped.
“My options were to quit growing my bakery or open up a storefront and so I chose to keep growing,” she said. “I’m not a person who just stops. With the cottage food laws, you can only make a certain amount and you have to stop growing. I didn’t want to do that.”
Wadekamper now has six employees at Barefoot Lane and is open five days a week. Her goal is to hire additional staff and be open serving her customers seven days a week.
Molly Fritz is a longtime fan of Wadekamper’s, with her family’s favorite product being the Barefoot Lane chocolate peanut butter bagels.
“It’s been fun to watch her journey and grow over the years,” Fritz said. “It was fun to watch her sell out at every event she did. I think the bakery was a good next step for her.”
She brought some Danishes into her Faribault workplace, and they were so popular one of her coworkers said he’d be making the trek to Waseca to get his fave: M&M cookies.
Fritz said she spreads the news about Wadekamper whenever possible.
“For Thanksgiving I bought loaves of her bread and it was one of the best dishes at Thanksgiving,” she said. “People kept asking me, where did I get my bread from? Her breads have great flavors. I’ll continue to recommend her. Absolutely.
“She’s got a great personality and is very welcoming and transparent. I think she’s a great staple to have in Waseca and I’m excited to watch her business grow. I support her.”
Barefoot Lane is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday.