Tuesday, February 4, 2020

There's a new corner bakery in Bethlehem (PHOTOS) - lehighvalleylive.com

Written by JUdodot on Tuesday, February 04, 2020 in Bakery with No comments

Charlie's Bakery, 1401 High St., opened Saturday in Bethlehem after months of renovation. Owner Charlie Dalrymple promises customers will find an assortment of fresh breads, baked goods and cakes sold in a homey corner neighborhood bakeshop. (Sara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

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Charlie Dalrymple started pondering his next chapter after he retired from nursing.

When his 90-year-old father suggested he open a bakery, Charlie Dalrymple didn't laugh and brush him off. He started hunting for the perfect spot.

On Saturday, Charlie's Bakery opened at the corner of Greenwich and High streets and Charlie Dalrymple's already received a warm welcome from his new neighbors.

The Phillipsburg native faced many hiccups as he converted the first-floor at 1401 High St. back into a commercial storefront -- he couldn't put in commercial baking ovens due to fire codes -- but he's thrilled to be bringing an old-fashioned bakery back to the Christmas City.

"It only took us nine months," the elder Charles Dalrymple quipped Monday.

Charlie Dalrymple knew he wanted to recreate the neighborhood bakeries of his youth, so he actually started his search driving around side streets until he stumbled on his current location.

He's no stranger to the Christmas City. Before becoming a wound care nurse in New Jersey, Charlie Dalrymple worked as a window designer for Orr's Department store.

"It is a shame because a lot of the corner, neighborhood stores have been converted," he said. "This one was residential."

Due to the code limitations, all of the baked goods are coming from outside vendors, primarily an Italian bakery in Brooklyn, N.Y., while the cheesecakes and cakes come from Amish bakers. Soon, they will be serving up coffee and tomato pies as well.

"The cheesecake is what people seem to be raving over," Charlie Dalrymple said. "Everything comes in fresh daily from Brooklyn, the bread, the donuts, the danish, the cinnamon rolls. Anything you want under the sun."

Charlie's Bakery will soon decorate cakes on-site and fill cannolis. Long term, Charlie Dalrymple hopes to buy the building and put on an addition with ovens, which will be more affordable than building interior firewalls, he said.

Locals may remember the shop last as Miller's, a place that served up sandwiches, essentials and penny candy, Charlie Dalrymple said.

Throughout February, Charlie's Bakery will be open seven days a week from 7 p.m. until 5 p.m. so they can gauge interest. (Although, the bakery will close early -- as it did over the weekend -- if it sells out.) The bakery will set its permanent hours in March.

Charlie Dalrymple hasn't placed any advertisements, but one post to his Facebook page and word is spreading.

"Yesterday, people were coming in and saying, 'Where is this cheesecake I hear people raving about on Facebook?'" he said. "It was just phenomenal."

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