Last fall, Colleen Orlando and Rian Finnegan viewed 218 Main St. with a mission in mind for Little Loaf Bakeshop — one that would take a year of dedicated work. They wanted to establish a permanent location in New Paltz for the queer and trans-owned vegan bakery.
Born in an incubator kitchen in 2022, Orlando and Finnegan started Little Loaf at the Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory (PUF). Utilizing a shared-use commercial kitchen space catering to new businesses was essential to the success of Little Loaf. With PUF providing kitchen equipment, Little Loaf operated as a pop-up cafe, supplying vegan goods to the local market while satisfying the needs of pastry enjoyers in the area.
“Our base is all over the place … so we’re open to where we should go,” Finnegan said. Little Loaf grew to engage with a larger customer base in the Hudson Valley, including farmers markets in Beacon, Tarrytown and Cold Spring.
In May, the bakeshop won the “Small Business of the Year Award” through the Acceleration Project. This accomplishment helped provide funding and solidify plans to expand the business to a brick-and-mortar location. Defined by Finnegan and Orlando as “glimmers of hope,” and “external pushes,” the immense community support for Little Loaf fueled efforts to push on and make their goals a reality.
Finnegan said, “A customer connected us with her boss, who owns the building. And [they both said] ‘We really believe in your business, would you consider this?’” Aptly phrased by Finnegan as “divine intervention,” the two knew this opportunity was the one they had been working and waiting for.
Originally a chiropractor office, the space at 218 Main St. offered immense possibilities for the bakeshop’s future. The building and location were perfect for Little Loaf, from the floor-to-ceiling windows to the open, well-lit environment with two floors. However, the site needed improvements to convert it into a working bakery. The co-founders prioritized environmental safety and community, partnering with other businesses and creators while creating the space. The bakeshop includes customer-made murals Finnegan describes as “fine, custom artwork for the space,” plant furnishments from The Plant Aunt in the Hudson Valley and eco-friendly “carbon negative packaging” from Noissue.
Orlando, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco, has 14 years of work in the culinary world leading up to Little Loaf. “I’ve learned so much this past year about how to build a business and really understand what we’re doing.” She emphasized the importance of diverse experiences in facilitating growth, including Finnegan’s business background in marketing and the bakeshop staff’s diverse competencies.
The Little Loaf team is not afraid to let skills from different expertise crossover — they highly encourage it. “Cross-training is really important. We want our team to be able to mix cookies one day, then the next day, [work] behind the bar and the next day maybe we’d need extra help at the farmer’s market,” Finnegan said.
Incorporating seasonal flavors, the vegan menu includes brioche, sausage, egg and cheese on pretzel croissants, lasagna danishes, sweet potato casseroles and many more. With ample oven space, Orlando and Finnegan promise exciting new additions to their product line. “The thing that really differentiates us will be our pastry program,” Orlando said. “We’re going to add some breads in there as well and then some other surprises.”
With much to offer and look forward to, Little Loaf anticipates a soft launch in December, officially opening the doors of Little Loaf to the New Paltz community.