ROCKWOOD – After almost a year of adapting to the pandemic, the owner of a beloved Rockwood bakery and cafe has decided to pivot into a new business model.
Goodfellows Field to Fork recently announced it will close its shop in Rockwood to move to Cambridge. The business will be rebranded as ‘Claudia’s Fine Foods’ focusing on wholesale manufacturing and production. Owner Claudia Goodfellow said her rebranded business will launch in April 2021.
“It’s mainly COVID, but it was a multifaceted decision,” said Goodfellow about the decision to close.
Being a part of the Rockwood community since 2015, the pandemic and numerous pivots had made it too difficult to continue with her business. In November 2019, Goodfellow became the sole owner of the business after her two partners walked away.
“When you start a business, how you chose to structure and operate is based on who’s in it,” she explains, “Since that changed so dramatically from three people to one person, it just made sense to pivot and restructure, and just change the whole business.”
Prior to the pandemic, the business had also expanded into two units to offer a seating area. Early in the pandemic, she closed down that unit and focused on takeout orders.
“I just totally pivoted the whole idea of the shop, from being like a sit down, cafe kind of where you could sit down and read a book, connect with people, into a just grab-and-go kind of area.” she said.
With mechanical issues with the espresso machine and other issues adding up, Goodfellow said she realized she would have to make some changes to survive by moving in with another local business in Cambridge called Top Market Family Farms.
“I love Rockwood so much,” she said, “I love the community, they have been so supportive to the shop, to my business, for the past five years. I’ve been so grateful to have been working in this community, it just didn’t work anymore.”
“That’s the really difficult part of entrepreneurship is that you have to make these kind-of big decisions,” Goodfellow continues, “Especially when these extreme situations come up, like a global pandemic.”
On Feb. 12 and Feb. 13, Goodfellows will offer free coffee and sell off any merchandise left in the store.
“I’ll be there to say goodbye to everyone and try to sell the last of my inventory,” she said.
Goodfellow and her staff also decided to sell some art, which was hanging on a blue wall inside the store, to allow residents to take a little bit of Goodfellows home with them.
“I just thought it would be a really cool way to just give the community an opportunity to grab something very cool that they saw when they first walked in there,” said Goodfellow, “And also put some money towards the cost of moving and stuff.”
One of these items includes a pig statue covered in tattoos drawn on by a sharpie marker by Kathryn Henley, a staff member. Goodfellow explains it is the store’s mascot and she will be organizing an auction for it to support the Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis.
Although the bakery is shutting down, Goodfellow says she will still offer popular items from Goodfellows through her wholesale bakery. Besides this, her products will also be available at different farmers markets, including in Cambridge, Aberfoyle and Rockwood.
Having been able to help the rural community with her bakery, Goodfellow said she would like to continue to do so with her new venture.
“I hope with this shift that I’ll actually be able to continue those relationships, and still be able to support that local economy as well,” she said, “And who knows? If I’m able to bounce back from all of this, and if any luck, we’ll be stronger and better from this.”
Goodfellow explains she is lucky to be in an industry that was allowed to be open and produce during the pandemic. However, with no end yet to the pandemic, she said it is possible that more businesses will pivot in order to survive.
“I think you will see the bigger trends of effort and changes where businesses can still offer the client what they want, but in a way that’s safe and businesses can push forward.” predicts Goodfellow.
