Renovations underway for Schlee's Gourmet Bakery & Bottle Shop

Renovations have begun on a downtown building that is slated to become a coffee shop, bakery and wine bar.

Plans for Schlee's Gourmet Bakery & Bottle Shop were initially announced last fall,
but co-owner Ashley Rickenbach said the scale of renovations needed to turn the former hair salon at 225 S. Sixth St. into a space with a commercial kitchen has delayed the planned opening.

Rickenbach recently relocated from Texas to Springfield and partnered with Benjamin Galbraith and Matthew and Rachael Hurley to launch Schlee's. She said she and her business partners all have experience in food service, including restaurants and bars.

Melotte, Morse, Leonatti, Parker LTD and Michael von Behren Builder Inc. are overseeing the renovations.

"We just started construction on May 5," said Rickenbach. "We've done all the demo, and now we're putting up walls to create the new space."

Rickenbach said it took longer than expected to finalize plans with the architect "so that everything would be perfect" and then get the final version approved through the city permitting process.

"Although it's taken longer than we wanted, I think it's going to be exactly what we envisioned," she said.

Rickenbach previously told SBJ that the business model is going to be "high quality, small quantity... we're not going to be Starbucks, where we have 500 frozen croissants in the back. We'll make six to eight items for the day, and once we run out, they're out, but you can come back tomorrow and have something new and fresh."

Schlee's will offer a selection of pastries baked from scratch, plus what Rickenbach described as "a coffee program centered on craftsmanship and quality."

In the evening the sit-down service will feature small bites and wine pairings, rather than a traditional restaurant menu.

"There will be a lot of attention to the ingredients and how we're making it to ensure it can be at our highest level," Rickenbach said, who noted the wine selection will follow the same model. "We're doing winery visits now so we know exactly who made your bottle," she said.

The Springfield City Council approved a liquor license for the business last month.
Construction is scheduled to be complete in early August, with a grand opening to follow.

Rickenbach said she is planning to hire a barista, pastry chef and evening server.
Potential employees should apply at SchleesGourmet.com/careers.