'Music man,' foodie coffee shop opens
A new Selbyville coffee shop is offering much more than a good cup of joe.
Wake & Bake is also a bakery, a record store, a brunch and lunch restaurant.
The eclectic space, located on Lighthouse Road, offers patrons a place to relax and hang out in plush, plaid couches.
"It's our funky little haven," said Jen Ausmus, who co-owns the shop with her boyfriend Josh Kay.
Nestled between Ken's Bayside Pizza and Smitty McGee's, the quaint space was once occupied by Bake My Day. Ausmus acquired the business from the previous owner and ran Bake My Day by herself for the past year. When she and Kay officially teamed up, they wanted to offer guests more than baked goods but were afraid the name, Bake My Day, would be misleading.
So they temporally closed down, renovated and reopened with a new concept.
Wake & Bake now has, "the best of both worlds," said Josh Kay. "Well, our worlds, that is. I am a music man and she is the foodie."
The shop sells an eclectic selection of new and re-issued vinyl and affordable beginner-level turntables, in addition to local artwork and pottery. A newly installed sound system, will be used to offer local musicians a venue for live entertainment, as well as stream live shows.
The laid-back cafe offers coffee and espresso drinks made with Zekes, a popular, small batch coffee roaster and cafe located in Baltimore. Guests can pair their coffee with an assortment of goodies — cookies, cupcakes, cream puffs, eclairs, scones — all handmade by Ausmus.
A sit-down menu, soon to be offered, will feature options like fresh salads, quiches, stuffed pretzel buns, savory danishes and the Hakuna Frittata, made with fresh ricotta and mixed greens.
"I really had fun with the menu," Ausmus said, with a smile. "I think people are really going to love it."
Cooking has been a lifelong passion for the Ocean City resident. She was taught early by her grandfather how to cook, "the good stuff," she said.
"Cream puffs and cheesecake," she explained. "They were the first things I learned how to make."
Wake & Bake also offers hand dipped Hershey ice cream, which is needed for the shop's, "Big A-- Doughnut Challenge."
Brave patrons who can devour a 5-pound doughnut, layered with toppings and stuffed with ice cream, will earn a Wake & Bake T-shirt and a photo on the shop's wall of fame.
"We have a lot of big dreams for this little shop," Kay said. "We're hoping it'll become the local hangout for music fanatics, coffee lovers and giant (...) doughnut fans."
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302-537-1881, ext. 209
Wake & Bake
Where: 37238 Lighthouse Road, Selbyville
Call: 302-436-2100
Visit: facebook.com/wakeandbakede