Cake shop goes for tasty venue

Nancy Krecker hopes business will get a little sweeter on Colusa Avenue.

Her 9-year-old cake and pastry business has ignited its ovens in the former Downtown Grill location, and she is enjoying the space, visibility and potential that the location offers. As her 40th birthday this December drew closer, Krecker had thought more about her need and desire to expand the business.

"I thought, 'Is that all that my life is going to be or could I have done better? Could I have gone bigger?'" she said.

She set foot inside the vacant restaurant and knew she found the spot.

"I saw the potential behind the grease," she said. "Now we'll just see how the town receives it."

Many businesses had expressed interest in the location, once also home to Hal's Grubstake, but property owner Dottie Baker wanted the right fit. Cakes by Nancy fills an unmet need for a downtown bakery and benefits the community, she said.

"Anytime you see a vacant spot in town, any town, it makes you stop and think the economy is not good or 'What is wrong with this place?'" Baker said.

The Colusa Avenue restaurant is a Yuba-Sutter landmark and even though the signature sign had to come down last week, memories will remain, she said.

"I can't tell you had many people said, 'We had our first date in there,' or 'My husband proposed to me in there' or 'We used to go there every Friday night for dinner,'" Baker said.

Yuba City resident Chris Bina, whose daughter is dating one of Krecker's sons, wandered around the remodeled building Tuesday and recalled 16 years of working at Hal's Grubstake. He ran his fingers over names, phone numbers and instructions inscribed on the walls of what is now the pantry and remembered how he relied on them so many years ago.

"It's just awesome," he said. "It brings back a lot of memories."

Hal's Grubstake closed its doors in 2001 after three owners, 44 years of business and immeasurable local fame for its "Dudeburger," spare ribs and barbecue sauce. In its place shortly opened the Downtown Grill, which served steak, seafood and pasta until it closed in 2008.

"It has hundreds and hundreds and thousands and thousands of stories to be told," Krecker said.

Potential patrons and other residents told Krecker they hoped Hal's Grubstake gems would fall out of the original woodwork during restoration.

"People wanted to know if, when we were patching walls, any of Hal's recipes came falling down," she said.

Krecker has changed a few things, as well as replaced the roof and heating and air conditioning unit, but the original white countertop is one keepsake she cannot do away with.

Now, instead of watching chefs fry up burgers, customers can watch bakers frost pink champagne cakes or sprinkle powdered sugar over lemon coffee cake.

They can also taste Krecker's latest business addition —dine-in drinks, ice creams and desserts.

"Everything that we offer, you can get bite-size," she said. "They can sit there and eat, ask questions or just watch."

Cakes by Nancy will be open seven days a week and with longer hours. A grand opening is slated for Nov. 14.

Krecker's boxes of Elvis memorabilia are still on the way, but a life-size cardboard cutout of the King already looks out from one corner.

Krecker had so little space on Poole Boulevard, she started having to turn down orders. But with twice as many ovens, double the square footage and six more employees, she hopes business at 440 Colusa Avenue will be booming.

"I feel more a part of town being on Colusa," Krecker said. "It's really hard not to stand here and just watch cars go by."

Instead of the 250 to 300 cars that would pass her Poole Boulevard location each day, 39,000 vehicles now drive past her business.

Krecker's pride and joy is the pine baking counter her husband built for her by hand. Thirteen feet long by 6 feet wide, it has plenty of room for bustling bakers to roll out fondant or frost layers side-by-side, she said.

The economy has not been easy on the cake business, Krecker said.

"It's more of a roller coaster," she said. The ups are ups and the downs are downs."

Her costs for staples such as flour and shortening have risen while her customers' incomes have dropped or stayed the same. The biggest impact is her peak and low seasons have switched. People cut back on holiday pie and cake orders to focus on making ends meet but instead of leaving town for birthdays and other celebrations, they are staying home and ordering sweets.

Some people may wonder why she would expand her business in this economy, but Krecker and her husband said it makes sense.

"I don't think it's crazy," Jeff Krecker said. "The only way it's going to get better is for people to do things like this."

And if not, cake at least makes everyone feel good, he said.

Contact Appeal reporter Ashley Gebb at 749-4724 or agebb@appealdemocrat.com