Freshly Baked Bliss

Discover the Heart of J’s Bakery Cafe | La Crete, AB

Jake Peters, Owner, J's Bakery Cafe

J’s Bakery Cafe is a traditional, small-town bakery and restaurant in the charming town of La Crete. It boasts classic homestyle baking, delicious meals and happy customers.

Owner and operator Jake Peters, 56, opened his doors in July 2023. It was a dream come true as he had been looking for a way to pursue this goal for many years.

“When I got the opportunity to purchase the bakery, I just went for it,” said Peters. “I had been wanting to start something like this for 20 years, and I could see the potential.”

Since purchasing the cafe, Peters has expanded the menu, but he was sure to keep the items his customers love. He also prioritized getting more hands-on deck to heighten the customer experience.

“We have added a lot of cookies and cakes to the old bakery’s menu, and I hired waitstaff to serve our customers more easily,” said Peters.

Initially, the biggest obstacle Peters had was keeping everything as fresh as possible. However, he overcame this challenge by paying close attention to his customers’ buying habits.

“It was a learning curve trying to figure out how much stock to put out,” said Peters. “It turns out the end of the week is busier than the beginning, and I also quickly learned that I needed to have more stock when hockey teams come to town.”

J’s Bakery Cafe has become quite popular, and when you see his made-in-house baked goods, it’s not hard to see why. Customers can enjoy the convenience of delicious grab-and-go items, or they can dine in to have a meal in the warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Peters enjoys catering to the classic, homestyle tastes La Crete loves.

Customer favourites include butterhorns, donuts, fresh buns, their homemade gravy and their signature hamburgers.

Butterhorns

“People love our burgers, and they really like the gravy we make. They always tell me I’m not allowed to change it,” said Peters. “We mix our own hamburger, make our own gravy from scratch and always have fresh made buns.”

At J’s Bakery Cafe, customers can get hot food to satisfy a craving, indulge in a freshly baked treat and then finish it off with some ice cream. Then, they can take home frozen butterhorns for later.

In the upcoming year, Peters is looking forward to working on his vision for the bakery and continuing to relish in the joy it brings him and his family. It’s his pleasure to build relationships with his regulars and to meet new people.

“We’ve had people from Edmonton as well as people from all the way up in the Territories who have come to visit the bakery. They always say they love coming, and that’s what I love to hear,” said Peters.

Another added perk to his business is it allows him to spend more time with his family amid his work and daily routine.

“Before the bakery, I was logging. Now, I really enjoy the extra time I get to spend with my kids and grandkids since opening the cafe,” said Peters.

Looking forward, Peters is excited to expand what the cafe offers throughout the year. He is guided by a deep appreciation for his customers and his community. Their preferences and feedback are at the heart of the cafe’s menu.

“The whole town of La Crete has been amazing and has supported me 100% of the way,” said Peters. “It was more than I could’ve ever expected.”

By Siobhan Kennedy | Life Through a Lens Photography