New Pastry, Crepe Cafe to Open in Village

Owners of , Megan Spicer and Sheila Taylor, are branching out by opening a second business specializing in pastries, other sweet treats and crepes.

The new business, Sweet Little Sheila's Pastry and Crepe Cafe, is a continuation of a cake making business Taylor operated out of her home for years, they said. Among other things, Side Street Diner is known for the large cakes that dot the countertop tempting those eating lunch and dinner.

Simply put the cake business was operating out of Side Street but they ran out of room to allow it to expand, they said Monday after gaining approval from the council for a new sign.

The opportunity sort of presented itself to Spicer and Taylor, they said, explaining they contacted the landlord, James Bellanca, to say they'd like to take space if . That is exactly what happened.

Spicer and Taylor have been operating in the closed storefront for about a month, both remodeling and transferring the cake business from Side Street to the new location, 17045 Kercheval Ave.

The offerings at Side Street will remain the same but the two businesses will not offer the same sweets, the owners said.

Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce members got a sneak peek of the cafe early Tuesday during a business networking event. Both owners were pleased with the turnout and are excited to open.

Opening a second business, or any business for that matter, is filled with risk and uncertainty, they said, describing it like throwing a party every day and wondering if anyone will show up.

Offering a bakery and crepes cafe in the Village, however, is likely to be a success, they said, noting there is not anything else like it in the Village. The hope is to capitlize on walk-in traffic as well as sit-down lunch and dinner crowds, they said.

The bakery will offer a variety of products from patries, cupcakes, chocolate-dipped pretzels and more. There will be something for everyone, from teenagers to moms to others, Taylor said. Additionally, customers will be able to order specilty cakes.

Sweet Little Sheila's will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, seven days a week. From 6 to 11 a.m., the cafe will offer counter service only with Seattle's Best Coffee and morning treats.

From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., the cafe will offer sit down service with crepes in addition to the counter service for walk-in customers.

Four pastry chefs, including Taylor, will create the goodies behind the counter. The other three pastry chefs are Rob Weathers, Sarah Baker and Johanna Doll.

The building required little renovation, Taylor said Tuesday, explaining they've painted and done more cosmetic changes than anything.

Among the to-do list they have yet to complete are minor finishing touches, such as framing designed wall-paper on the walls, hanging rotating chandeliers and installing a glass partition to separate the kitchen from the dining room. They also intend to recover the chairs, Taylor said.

After gaining approval for the new signage Monday, Taylor and Spicer need to schedule a time for the installation, they said.

The cafe will celebrate it's official grand opening Sept. 5 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the early evening. The cafe will open for business the following morning at 6 a.m., Taylor said.

The cafe will seat about 36 people.

To contact the cafe once it opens, the phone number is 313-881-2233 or by email, SLSCAFE@ymail.com.