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CHARLESTOWN, N.H.(MyKeeneNow) What started as a small baking operation inside a single-wide mobile home has grown into a bustling bakery and café where customers come not only for fresh pastries and homemade meals, but also for a sense of connection.
Since opening its storefront on Old Claremont Road on March 31, Mitchell Delights Eats & Treats has quickly established itself as a gathering place for local residents seeking scratch-made food, daily specials and a welcoming atmosphere.
Owner Peggy Mitchell said the move to a commercial space was years in the making.
“I was getting too big,” Mitchell said. “I still live in a single-wide mobile home, and I said I can’t do this anymore. I don’t have enough room.”
Before opening the business, Mitchell spent years building a customer base through home baking, fair appearances and specialty orders. Without formal culinary training, she developed her skills through practice, experimentation and encouragement from family, friends and customers.
Her baked goods have appeared at the Rutland (VT) Fair for the past three years, and she has participated in local baking competitions while supplying products to area coffee shops.
The storefront itself was once little more than a dream.
Mitchell recalled driving past the building and wishing she could someday operate a business there. When the property first became available, she doubted whether she could make it work financially and never heard back after inquiring about the space.
A second opportunity eventually arrived.
“The building came up for rent again, I contacted him, and he contacted me back immediately the very next day,” she said. “I gave him the deposit, and we started cleaning it and getting it ready.”
Today, Mitchell Delights Eats & Treats offers a wide variety of breakfast and lunch options alongside an extensive selection of baked goods. The menu includes sandwiches, salads, grilled items and daily meal specials, while the bakery case features donuts, muffins, cookies, cupcakes, éclairs, whoopie pies, cheesecakes, cake pops, Danish pastries and more.
The business is also exploring new menu additions, recently asking customers whether they would be interested in chicken or beef hibachi dishes served with udon noodles and vegetables.
The operation is truly a family effort. While Peggy oversees the bakery side of the business, her husband Bill handles much of the cooking.
Bill, who also works as a mechanic, has developed a following of his own thanks to hearty comfort-food offerings and a popular breakfast burrito packed with sausage, peppers, eggs, cheese and tater tots.
Meanwhile, several baked goods have become customer favorites.
“My macarons … but my muffins and my raspberry bars, I sell out of those every single day,” Mitchell said.
The café features an eat-in area where customers can enjoy meals, meet with friends or hold informal gatherings. Mitchell said creating a welcoming environment is just as important as the food itself.
She and her husband make a point of interacting with customers, offering recommendations and learning what people enjoy. Those conversations often lead to stories about family recipes and meals from years gone by.
“We sell tons of the lunch specials because they are homemade,” Mitchell said. “People say, ‘My mom did it this way,’ and ‘My grandmother used to do it this way.'”
For Mitchell, those reactions reinforce the mission behind the business.
“I’ve always been told I’m the caregiver,” she said.
She believes many people are searching for the kind of homemade meals and personal service that have become less common over time.
“We’re not like the average [place],” Mitchell said. “People don’t really see that too often anymore.”
Mitchell Delights Eats & Treats is located at 741 Old Claremont Road in Charlestown. The business serves breakfast, lunch and baked goods in a casual setting and offers rotating daily specials throughout the week.
The café is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.