Amid residential construction, this bakery and cafe opens in Bellingham
A new bakery and cafe is getting a nice welcome from neighbors in the Samish district.
Siblings Marci and Colby Abshire opened Slice of Heaven Bakery & Cafe on Saturday, April 9, on Samish Way in the former Diego’s building next to Boomer’s Drive-In. It is in a soft-opening phase right now, focused on selling just baked goods.
They plan to open the cafe portion of the business in early May, offering soups, salads, sandwiches and take-home meals, including lasagna.
Marci Abshire started the business from home a few years ago, baking for events such as weddings and birthday parties. When she and Colby were both laid off from other jobs during the pandemic, they decided to put together the bakery and cafe.
The remodeling of the building took longer than they expected, but when they had their soft opening they were greeted with a long line of neighbors who bought nearly all of their baked goods.
The remodeled building has more of a bakery feel to it, but Colby Abshire said they wanted to have a sit-down cafe as a way to provide some different, lighter lunch and dinner options on Samish Way.
Slice of Heaven is opening as much of Samish Way is getting a makeover. Two major residential projects are being built near the bakery, with more apartments going up closer to Interstate 5 that will add hundreds of residents to the area.
In the meantime, the Abshires, who were born and raised in Bellingham, are already getting to know their neighbors.
“We’ve met a lot of people who enjoy walking around the neighborhood, including college students,” Colby Abshire said in a telephone interview. “It’s been much busier than we thought.”
While opening the bakery, Marci Abshire stopped taking on new catering clients, but she is planning to resume in May.
Slice of Heaven is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. Details about the business can be found at its website and on social media.
This story was originally published April 17, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
