Cutomers gather in The Depot Cafe on Main Street. The Cafe opened on Feb. 21.
Heather Robinson/Castleton Spartan

On one side of the Amtrak station you can board a train, but on the other side you can enjoy a freshly baked cinnamon streusel scone, a delicious deli sandwich or a hot cup of Green Mountain Coffee.

The Depot Café & Bake Shop opened on Feb. 21 and is only a short walk from campus.

The large glass shelves as you walk into the new bakery are filled with freshly baked cupcakes, cookies and scones. As you make your way into the shop you can smell fresh coffee and deli style cooking.

As two older women sit in the corner chatting over their steaming soup, two young girls walk in to grab coffee before heading to class. They are all greeted with a large smile and a “how’s it goin’?” from the man behind the counter.

Bill Hieber and his girlfriend Michelle Scott had been running two food business out of their home for the last 10 years. Hieber owns Feastivities Catering Service and feeds parties with anywhere from 2-200 guests, including faculty assembly lunches on Castleton’s campus.

Scott owns a bakery business called Michelle’s Sweet Creations. When she’s not baking coffee cupcakes, Scott works in Woodruff as President Dave Wolk’s secretary.

The catering business and the bakery are both now being run out of the new location on Main Street.

The right half of the Amtrak train station has been an empty space for the past few years after previously being a bakery for five years. Hieber was running out of room in his home so he contacted the building’s owner, Maryanne Jakubowski, and decided to move his business there.

“When we got here, it was just walls and floors,” Hieber was heard telling a curious customer. “We’re still getting electrical work done, but it’s coming along pretty well.”

The couple’s commute to work is a quick one. They live 2-doors-down, allowing them to move all of their equipment relatively easily.

Their first month has been a success.

“It’s been quite busy,” said Hieber. “Much better than I had expected, especially since we’ve done very little advertising.”

Hieber and Scott also each have their children helping them out in their new shop.

“I love working here. It’s basically a family-run business,” said Hieber’s daughter Ericka Carter. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Scott’s son, Nick, has worked there since they opened. “I like working here,” he said “It’s nice working with family.”

The three-in-one bakery-deli-catering business is on 266 Main St in and is open Monday-Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.