The Red Roof rises

Story & photos by Gretchen Ammerman

Oregon Coast TODAY

Sherry Wilmsen and Wilda Larsen, co-owners of the Red Roof Bakery, were close to becoming victims of their own success.

Once word of mouth spread about the quality of the baked sweets and savory treats they were serving in the cozy cafe in Gleneden Beach, their customer base rose quickly and consistently. Being a positive presence in the community they love was great, but the candles they had been burning at both ends were starting to become little more than two tiny piles of wax.

And then along came COVID-19.

After a month of struggling to protect their employees and customers, the couple made the tough decision to close. A move they thought would be permanent.

“We had been pretty much done at that point,” Wilda said. “Once we closed I feel like I slept for a month; we just really needed a break.”

Catching up on sleep and actually having time to consider their next steps led to a surprising revelation for them both.

“One morning we were having tea and Wilda said, ‘I really miss baking,’” Sherry said. “I was pretty shocked but, when it came down to it, I realized I was missing some parts of the business, too.”

So, the couple created a Facebook post and asked what people might like if the Red Roof Bakery tried offering things like breads, bagels, cookies, muffins and cinnamon rolls on a pop-up shop basis.

“We weren’t sure how many people would answer,” Wilda said. “We got a huge response.”

They started with a test run involving email exchanges, customers knocking on the bakery door and Sherry or Wilda running to open the door to exchange products for payment.

“After trying that for a bit we realized we really needed a drive-through window,” Sherry said. “We also needed a website so we could stop exchanging money by hand.”

The new system is easier, faster, safer and — best of all — allows the couple to offer more options, including coffee by the pound and bags of homemade granola.

Orders can be placed from Sunday through Wednesday for pickup at the drive-through window on the west side of the building on Saturday between 10 am and 1 pm.

“We’ve had to work out some kinks but it’s going pretty well,” Sherry said. “Except on Saturday mornings when it’s like a tornado in here.”

The website lists options for the week; popular items like bagels, which Wilda makes the traditional way for that New York deli taste, will only be available every other week to ensure that quality doesn’t become a victim to quantity.

“The bagels are flying out of here but I can only do so many because I hand roll and shape every one,” Wilda said. “Last week I made 104.”

Soup and quiche are some non-bakery items that can be pre-ordered.

“We are a bakery that not only makes sweet things but also savory,” Sherry said. “We take our savory things seriously.”

The website also allows customers to place special orders, like whole cakes or pies. And the beverage selection doesn’t end at coffee.

“I still maintain a massive and great wine list, including some sparkling choices for the holidays,” Sherry said. “If you want to talk about the wine I’m happy to do it. To make it on our list they have to be good and they have to be reasonably priced, but there are complexities beyond that.”

The regular customers who depend on The Red Roof to satisfy their treat cravings aren’t limited to the two-legged.

“I don’t know if you noticed that all the dogs in town were cranky last week,” Sherry said. “It was because Wilda didn’t have time to make dog cookies.”

One of the main things the couple misses about having the open cafe is the way it kept them connected to the community, but they are keeping that connection open.

“We still like to use the business to help others as much as we can,” Sherry said. “We’re still going to have the holiday giving tree for kids in foster care in Lincoln County, which people can contribute to using the takeout window, and we still donate to the fire department and to the food bank.”

Trying to be careful not to burn themselves out again, Sherry and Wilda are focusing on the positive.

“We were so lucky that we were able to make this change,” Sherry said. “We got out, regrouped and thought of all the things that we could do that were safe. And we are so happy that this gives us a way to see some of our regulars again.”

The Red Roof Bakery is located at 7040 Gleneden Beach Loop. To view the current menu and place an order, go to www.theredroof.net. For more information, call 541-614-4528.