12/07/2023
Dear RWB Community,
I have been waiting to have all my ducks in a row before sharing some news with all of you. My intention has not been to be coy, rather to make sure my decisions are solid and I have all the right information to share before announcing.
It is with mixed emotions that I have decided to close Red Wagon permanently and sell the building and adjoining land. It took a long time to come to this conclusion, but ultimately, I am very happy and excited to be moving forward into my next and ultimate role: Mom. I have been so overjoyed to be a Mama since Rudy was born, and as we near his first birthday, I find myself the happiest I've ever been thinking about getting to experience everything firsthand with him, and not having to split my time as a business owner. I hope our RWB community shares in my joy and excitement, and doesn't dwell too much on the sadness of closing our doors.
These five years have been the trip of a lifetime! I started RWB fresh out of living in NYC and felt like I had caches of resources at my disposal: boundless energy (whattup, fresh faced 28-year-old-me!), my time (I was single, friendless in a new town, and fulfilling a lifelong dream! Nothin' stopping that trifecta!), my savings, my creativity, my mom and her endless motivation and support, and a whole lotta raw, impassioned drive. As the years have passed, I met and fell in love with Chris, my husband, we had Rudy, and we moved to and established a life at Cardigan Mountain School. Things are really good! But my new reality is that I can't put in 18-hour days anymore. I can't put all of my energy into my business and have only fumes left for my son. I can't keep up with the demands of running a business, while my heart wants to be home with Rudy. So, I look back at these years with immense pride, humility, humor, and endless joy for the community we all created together.
I will, of course, miss RWB. I have already missed so many of our past employees who have moved upward and onward, and those who have gone from employee-to-lifelong-friend, I will miss the hustle (and, heck, the bustle!), the kitchen banter, the long Summer days, the to-do lists and the menu creating. I will miss our regulars – especially those I have watched grow up. I'll miss the Summer folk, the weekenders, the Dartmouth Outing Club, the Friday Ladies, the folks who came in a lot at the beginning, and the folks who came in a lot at the end. I'll miss daily visits from our resident artist and gardener extraordinaire Gary, and how folks would sometimes call Red Wagon in order to get a message to him (proud luddite that he is). Did you know that Gary, with my mom and dad's assistance, spearheaded all the front and back gardens and backyard clearing around RWB? A service for which I, and the Town of Canaan, will be forever grateful. I'll miss Robert showing up at the back door with his menagerie of baby farm animals. I'll miss my (colloquially-known-as-) egg lady, blueberry lady, mushroom lady, ricotta lady, milk lady, Sayer and Angus, and all the past collaborators we had through RWB.
I'll miss my dad chipping in for every odd job I asked of him (and some I didn't ask for but he did anyway). I'll miss my Mom stepping in to save RWB on busy days and her countless (seriously, countless) hours spent in service of RWB and of my dream. I will miss our contractor and friend Denis, who left this earth a few months ago, and in whose able hands the bakery was safely renovated and tended to, nearly all five years I've owned it. Denis even (despite basically never having heard of espresso before we started serving it) self-taught himself the inner workings of a (very complicated) Italian espresso machine so that we didn't have to hire out an expensive technician...just one of the 1000 ways he saved us money and helped keep my business alive. And of course, Jen, "my bagel lady," though she was so, so much more than that and kept the RWB case full for all of you when I was being pulled in every other direction. Luckily you can still get her baked goods! So many people, my parents, Denis, and Jen at the front of the line, helped keep Red Wagon going. And all of you, with your continuous help, your generosity, your donations, your collaboration, your goodwill, your humor, your understanding, your smiles, and your hugs. It has truly been a community endeavor. You all helped the earnest dream of a 7yr old come true. I'll be forever grateful.
I will miss making delicious treats in the RWB kitchen, and I will miss the feeling of making meals for people who genuinely enjoyed them. People who came up and told us how delicious it was, what they liked best, how they couldn't believe they'd stumbled on this place; how they drove from Vermont to come...those who wrote sweet reviews, and the regulars who, no matter how often they came in, always thanked us and let us know it was 'another great meal.' If you're reading this and you think to yourself "I wonder if she means me," the answer is yes! I have all your faces in my mind as I write this, and even if we weren't on a first-name basis, I saw and remember all of you who frequented RWB.
I started this business on a whim with virtually no experience besides a penchant for cooking. It is the honest-to-God thrill of a lifetime that people actually kept it going for five years! Like...what?! It's bonkers! It's a real-life fairytale and every customer we've ever served deserves a pat on the back for giving me a chance. Even that lady we accidentally served raw potatoes to in our first week open...may she forever know, that in my darkest nightmares I will never, ever, EVER live that down. Running a restaurant is freakin' treacherous. Hats off to those who make it look easy. For me it has been at once fascinating, exciting, stressful, heady, humorous, overstimulating, fulfilling, absurd, eye-opening, and humbling. And now I'm taking my humble self out of business ownership and onto my next adventure.
I could write a novella about my musings and experiences at RWB, and maybe someday I will. I did major in English, not culinary arts, after all. But for now, I will say thank you for the years you allowed RWB to become your community and for welcoming us into your hearts (and bellies). I will always love my sweet little bakery and those that came through her doors.
Love,
Nellie
For those of you sad to see RWB vacate 1194 US Rt. 4, I have some good news!
1) We will be having a CHRISTMAS MARKETPLACE on WEDNESDAY, DEC 20TH FROM 3-6PM!
We will be selling:
–market goods like soup, quiche, cookie boxes, coffee cakes, and Christmas goodies
–dry goods like coffee and tea
–a selection of cookbooks and aprons
–Christmas gifts and crafts
–a la carte baked goods
–coffee, hot chocolate, and hot cider
2) While I am closing RWB, that won't stop me from baking! I hope to continue to offer some baked goods and breakfast goodies to the Canaan community by joining in the Canaan Farmer's Market on some Sundays in the Summer...stay tuned!
3) While we'll be putting the building/land on the market soon (if you're interested, let's talk!), we will continue to host markets and pop-ups til we pass the reigns to a new owner. Check our Facebook for info or links to other businesses who might be showcasing their talents in the RWB kitchen!
