Biz Of The Month: Happy 25th To Nana’s Bakery

OF THE MONTH Nana’s Bakery: A 25 Year Community Fixture Could Be Your New Venture

By Victoria Rose

Of all the hats that Nana’s Bakery owner Doug Romanek wears — both literally and figuratively — most people will recognize the jovial baker for his white hat.

It’s been a wardrobe staple for 25 years, but Romanek recently announced it might be time to hang up his hat.

“I’ve watched the sun come up, I want to watch it go down now,” says Romanek, reflecting on a long history of 3 a.m. starts that began in 1997.

While working as a restaurant consultant he stopped in to visit a customer who owned two bakeries.

His plan was to open a fish and chip shop around the corner, but when he mentioned his idea, the owner offered to sell one of the bakeries.

Romanek called his wife and said: “Barb, we bought a bakery.”

The problem? Romanek did not know how to bake . . . or how to run a business!

He knew how to make coffee and sandwiches and thought it was a good place to start.

The family did renovations and Romanek used some of his mother’s recipe books to get started.

Since his mother had recently passed, he thought Nana — a British term for grandmother — would be a great name for the bakery, as well as provide a way for his children to connect with her memory.

That thoughtfulness and heart has gone into every aspect of the business and for those with specific dietary needs, that attention to detail is vital.

Nana’s niche service started when a customer came in to find a milk-free cake. Romanek agreed to do it before he even had a recipe.

This turned into a habit of saying yes first and figuring it out later . . . talking to a nutritionist or doing lots of research into what dietary needs each customer had.

“I’m the baker you go to when no one else can help you,” he comments.

Now Nana’s Bakery is known for those specialty desserts, with vegan, gluten-free, and diabetic options part of the regular menu, as well as almost anything available by special order.

Some customers come in for bread and baked goods, others stop in for breakfast or just to have a coffee and a chat.

There are customers who visit a few times a year (from Leamington, Chatham, and London) and those who are there on a weekly (or even daily) basis.

The strong client base comes from the sense of community Romanek and his family have created. When you walk through the door, you are greeted warmly and customer service is the top priority.

“People feel comfortable as we treat people well and with kindness,” says Romanek. “They aren’t customers, they become part of the Nana’s family.”

The couples’ hearts are in the community too, donating regularly to an endless list of causes. This includes collecting donations for homeless initiatives, helping launch the Diabetes Wellness Centre, donating food to different events, and delivering baked goods and specialty meals weekly to the Windsor Youth Centre.

“I like giving back — it makes you feel good and community is what keeps us going,” Romanek adds.

During the pandemic, Nana’s Bakery had the option to take a hiatus, but the doors stayed open.

After all the support Romanek has received over the years, he felt it was important to do so, though it was not easy with the increases in utility costs and food prices that he had to absorb.

As with everything else, he takes it all in stride with a positive attitude.

His advice to other entrepreneurs — be prepared to do the hard work. Romanek feels that it is tougher now to attract customers in this industry since a lot of people started to bake/cook at home and enjoy staying in.

“You have to be creative and step your game up and if you buy a business that is successful already you can take advantage of that captured clientele,” states Romanek with a chuckle noting their bakery is officially up for sale.

Everything is still going strong so exactly when they can retire is unknown. However, if the right offer comes in, they will enjoy some well-earned rest (and staying up past 9 p.m.).

You can find Nana’s Bakery at 2936 Dominion Boulevard at Grand Marais in Windsor. To inquire about the sale of the business visit: BradBondy.com.

In October, Doug and Barb Romanek welcomed 200 guests at their open house to reflect on the bakery’s history and of course, enjoy a piece of anniversary cake. Their favourite memories are too many to count, but include many long-standing friendships and watching customers bring in their children who were once childhood customers themselves. Photo by Rod Denis.