The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
MAIN STREET TREATS
Kaylan’s Kitchen opens in Torrington
TORRINGTON — Cookies, cakes and cocoa bombs. Apple, pumpkin and pecan pies. Chocolate-covered strawberries, cherries and Oreo cookies.
The sweet treats are a sprinkling of the pastries available from Corey Simons’ online store and at her new Kaylan’s Kitchen bakery on Main Street.
Simons always wanted to cook for people. Her culinary journey took a few years and detour into something entirely different, but now her takeout and eat-in bakery and bistro is a reality.
Kaylan’s Kitchen is set to open at 597 Main St., next to St. Maron’s Church. In addition to a plethora of pastries, “We’re going to be doing artisan pizzas here,” Simons said.
“And we’re going to be doing fresh, from-scratch soups every day. And then we also have this grab-and-go center right here,” she said, pointing to a shelving unit near a bakery case.
Ready-to-eat sandwiches and salads will fill those shelves, she said. Prepared heat-and-eat meals will also be available, with reheating instructions, she added.
“I’ve always wanted to do culinary in general, so I actually went to Oliver Wolcott (Technical School) specifically in mind to go to culinary,” she said.
But before she realized that dream, she became a licensed hairdresser and barber. “I was assistant manager at E’Clips Salon and Barber Shop (now Jessica’s) in Winsted,” she said.
The call of the kitchen was insistent, as she thought about time spent with her mother at cake-decorating classes more than a decade ago.
“So that’s what started it,” she said. “And then I did it every now and then. And then I made (a cake) for a friend. And they’re like, ‘Oh, you should sell this.’ ”
To round out her already extensive knowledge of baking, gleaned from her mother and her own experimentation, Simons enrolled in the Lincoln Culinary Institute in Shelton. About five years ago, she began baking for friends and family from her home.
Two years ago, she opened a homebased bakery. Kaylan’s Kitchen is named after the older of her two daughters. Her younger daughter is Shyann.
Around the same time Simons opened her home business, she began selling her creations at farmers markets and fairs. She said she has been a fixture at the Franklin Plaza Farmers Market for two years and several craft fairs in Torrington.
“I also run, with a friend of mine, we run four events a year at Bad Dog Brewing Company (on Water Street),” she said. Simons joins Cari Mendez, owner of The Crafty Bombshell, at the brewery on Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas and sometimes Halloween.
The storefront will feature a small dining area and a separate room for consignments, including books by local authors, laminated bookmarks by Simons, canned goods, spices, crafts, gifts and jewelry. “We have over 25 vendors. Most (items) are handmade,” she said.
Hot chocolate, latte, tea and hot- and cold-brewed coffees will be available.
“We are getting our coffee locally,” Simons said. “I spent like 12 hours one day just driving around to different roasters.” She chose Redding Roasters in Bethel.
Just for fun, Simons plans to leave small, hand-painted rocks around town, hidden in plain sight, offering a free cookie or cupcake to the lucky person who finds it, she said.
“I like creating things that make people happy and seeing their faces or the reactions when they try a bite of something, and they’re just amazed by it, or just seeing their face when they see the product itself or smell it. It’s a good thing. It’s a good feeling,” she said.
Kaylan’s Kitchen is opening at 597 Main St., Torrington.
For information, call 860-294-7766 or 860-459-4328, or go to kaylanskitchens.com.