Manhattan Delivers

Manhattan Cafe and Bakery is rolling out a delicious addition to its products: home delivery.

The Village Mill Bakery, an entity operating with the Manhattan Café, launched its delivery service Aug. 18 after months of planning.

Manhattan Cafe Manager Dave Olmstead said the service is something the owners hoped to offer since the cafe; opened near the Square in February 2007.

"The owners, it's been a dream of theirs ever since they opened the business to eventually set up a bread route so they can deliver it to people," Olmstead said. "That was something that was in the works before they ever opened."

Olmstead said major work on the project started in June of this year.

"We've done a lot of deliberation considering what the options were and what we wanted to do, and we finally came to agreements on things and started the wheel in motion," he said.

Olmstead said the company has its own vehicle and will hire a driver to deliver fresh bread, baked goods and café meals Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to anywhere within Kirksville city limits. Clients pay the regular price for products, which range from about $3 to $6, plus a $1 delivery fee per order to cover the cost of fuel and delivery insurance.

Olmstead said the service will be available to more than just households.

"We're looking to deliver to businesses if they wish," Olmstead said. "If they want to supply cinnamon rolls to their employees or customers as well as homes - basically anybody that wants some bread."

Olmstead said that with a little planning, residence hall deliveries also could be an option.

"With the dorm delivery, we'd have to know when they were going to be available to be delivered to, which would make it a little more difficult," he said. "But if it's something that we can arrange, then probably yes."

Senior Brooke Zell said she thinks the residence hall delivery could be successful.

"I think that's great," she said. "I know so many people that would do that. Truman students would love to have things delivered like that, like fresh bread, and it's not very expensive."

Zell said she eats at Manhattan Cafe about once a month and that she enjoys the food and atmosphere there.

"I just love the fact that they have fresh-baked bread and cinnamon rolls and muffins and everything," she said. "It's a nice taste of home, you know?"

Zell said she is a little biased when it comes to baked goods, though.

"I'm like bread-obsessed," she said. "You know, there are some people that just love bread. That's me."

For Penny Kittle, one of the Village Mill's two main bakers, being obsessed with bread is a job. She said she arrives at the café at 5 a.m. weekdays to finish the day's baking after the chief baker Brenda Miller, who works overnight, goes home.

"So far today I've done 30 loaves," Kittle said at noon Aug. 27. "But Brenda did another 20 on top of that last night."

Kittle said the delivery service would bring customers bread baked on the morning of its delivery but that order forms must be submitted in advance.

"They can call the restaurant and request the day before so we can make sure we have enough on hand for the restaurant and the home delivery," Kittle said.

Special orders for items such as pumpkin spice cake, Apple Dapple cake and Irish soda bread will require 48 hours advance notice.

The service is in its infancy, Kittle said, and the company still is working on the best way to run it.

"We're just going to have to play it by ear at this point," she said. "See how it works, see how it flows."

Kittle said she is playing a major role in getting the word out about the delivery service.

"I'm taking samples around to area businesses, but I haven't made all those contacts yet," she said. "I'm getting business straightened out there."

Connie Pfannebecker, a server at Manhattan Cafe, had her own recommendation for those interested in ordering.

"I like the caramel pecan sticky buns," she said. "But without the nuts. I'm nutty enough already."