By MIRANDA MCGRATH
Contributing Writer
Starting up a new business can come with many complications. However, Danielle Poquette sees it more as raising a child. She cares for her newly founded company and wants to share something new with the community; this is where The Fix Cafe and Bakery comes in to play. Poquette said she wants this place to feel like a second home, a place to feel relaxed and at ease. All of this started as a simple dream that is now a reality.
“I wanted to bring something different to the neighbourhood,” said Poquette. Poquette attended the University at Albany roughly 10 years ago, where she earned a degree of arts in psychology. Now, she is back and ready to add onto the community. Coming with her is homemade baked goods and locally brewed coffee by Chris’ Coffee.
Each good is baked on site in the back kitchen. Poquette is one of the main bakers of the cafe, while Tafi Rivera Truesell is the other. Truesell helps her with the baking load due to the long hours that are needed to maintain the cafe. Poquette is working 12 to 14 hours each week day. The cafe is open from 9 a.m to 6 p.m on weekdays and Saturday is from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. These working hours are constantly keeping her busy, but she finds it worth it for her dream.
For the cafe menu, Poquette wants to have sweets, pastries, and other baked goods. There will be special coffees that are different from your regular and decaf. Also, on Saturday, there will be a special baked good of the day. Along with this she wants to expand out to lunch items such as homemade soups, chills and different mixed salads. After hours will feature different events. One idea was brought up to the owner for a manicure special and another was the idea of an open mic night.
“I think of this as a child,” said Poquette. “You have to take care of it like a baby, it’s a responsibility and I love it.” The entrepreneur sees this cafe as something much more than a simple business. She had invested her life savings into helping her cafe grow into something beautiful. At the start there were no lights to bring attention to the building and the display case was not as full. As the weeks pass the cafe seemed to start to bloom. The business isn’t fully matured, but has grown from early October.
As time has passed, the cafe has started to get regulars.
“It’s comfortable,” said Emily Mayer, one of the cafe’s Wednesday regulars. “The food is delicious and quick.” The baked goods are always at the ready for when customers come in. Bella Marchesani was another that chimed in from the group of returning customers.
“I like the iced tea, plus we are able to sit and talk,” said Marchesani. She explained that it was a nice place for her and her friends to go to.
Finally, Lexy Conti was the final returning customer with a say. “I am a connoisseur of brownies,” said Lexy Conti, another regular. “I would rate them a 12/10.” She said she felt very happy with the brownies that were freshly baked at the cafe and gave them a very good rating. Along with this there was a new customer that had come in. She was a local masseuse that didn’t work too far from the cafe. Poquette was very welcoming to her new customer and invited her to come back again.
“I believe that the only thing that separates me from everyone else from achieving their dreams is the elimination of fear,” said Poquette. The new cafe on Madison Avenue is still growing day by day and she is working everyday to get it there. She is not letting anyone get in her way with achieving her little goals that build into the larger ones. “Everyone has their fix,”
