New Centre County cafe opens with option for custom bakery cakes, cookies and more

A new bakery cafe has opened up in the heart of Milesburg, showcasing custom-decorated cakes, cupcakes and cookies alongside coffees and teas.

Sarah Bryan, 23, opened the cafe on Mill Road in June, although she has been running a custom order bakery for a year. The shop serves as a kitchen for her custom bakery orders and is open Friday and Saturday, featuring pastries, coffee and tea.

“I want that kind of feeling when they come in, it’s comfortable and just like a fun, calm environment,” Bryan said. “Just a place where you feel safe but spreads happiness.”

A Pleasant Gap resident, Bryan said residents are excited about having a cafe and bakery right in Milesburg. She’s been baking since her teens and was inspired by her mother to attend culinary school after graduating high school.

“I just spent a lot of time studying and browsing recipes and started learning from my late grandmother who taught me how to cook and then how to make desserts,” she said.

Following her degree in Pastry Arts at Penn College, she worked at Red Horse Tavern where former owner Justin Leiter allowed her to start making the desserts in-house. When Leiter opened Smokey Axe Grill at Axemann Brewery, Bryan followed, moving her custom order business into the commercial kitchen. This spring, she decided to take the leap and open her own storefront, a custom order bakery that doubles as a cafe.

“I kind of wanted to keep it going, keep the momentum,” Bryan said. “So when I found this place, I was just gonna take a chance and be able to continue to commit to the people who are interested in those services.”

Bryan said the experience of owning her own shop is surreal and a dream many people don’t achieve until later in life. Despite being the only worker right now, she’s not without a support system with family, friends and Leiter helping her along the way.

“Justin was the biggest catalyst for me being able to do this because he’s a business owner and kind of from the very beginning he saw the potential in me,” Bryan said. “It just kind of inspired me — gave me the confidence that I could do more than just do it on the side.”

In the future Bryan hopes to expand the menu to include more breakfast and lunch items, leaning more into the cafe side of the endeavor. The cafe is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays with updates to the hours, menu and more posted on the cafe’s Instagram page.