Gemini partners Anna Sysko, right, and Nicole Pellerin

BETHEL — Two bakers are building a bakery from scratch on Main Street. What was once Key Bank is now going to be the Gemini Cafe and Bakery. The two business partners are Anna Sysko and Nicole Pellerin.

Sysko was working at the iconic Cafe DeCocoa on and off, starting at age 14. Years ago, Pellerin was visiting Bethel from Colorado and saw DeCocoa. She applied for a job there, and was hired as a baker. When Pellerin and Sysko met, they quickly became friends. When Pellerin became pregnant, she taught Sysko how to bake the croissants. It wasn’t long before their children were playing together. Now, 13 years later, the two bakers have decided to open their own bakery/cafe  on Main Street. With regard to the name, Pellerin laughs.

“So neither of us are Geminis! It’s the astrology story.”

“So there are two woman of the same mind who collaborate, communicate, and cooperate around a craft, and it really spoke to us because one of our favorite things at work is to collaborate, communicate, and cooperate around our craft!” says Sysko . “So it made so much sense! Plus, we have the Gem Theater, the Gem and Mineral Museum, and the GEM-ini cafe, it sorted fit in with the theme, of these like pretty rock star folks in town, so we really wanted to be a part of that.”

The two talk excitedly about the kind of varieties of foods they’ll be serving.

“We want to serve a customer who wants a grab a cup of coffee; somebody who wants to sit down and have a pastry with a friend; someone who wants to grab items for a picnic; and someone who needs to come in and have their daily bread for their family.”

They can also serve cooked, hot foods with their cooking set-up.

Pellerin’s favorite food to bake is bread. Sysko’s favorite foods to bake are pie, bread, pizza, and English muffins.

“We want to give options,” says Pellerin. “We don’t just want to do bagel sandwiches; you can have your egg and cheese on a bagel, on piece of bread, or on an English muffin, or on a bed of greens.”

The fun doesn’t stop with the food.

“We are very interested in having music in here at some point,” says Sysko. “I’m a musician and I love to play and I have a small trio. So that might come about later. So we’ll have a little space provided for something like that. We are hopefully working with a local potter who will help us with pottery, like cups and things. So we’ll have art and music and food … tons of local food.”

Sysko looks around at the construction of their soon-to-be bakery.

“I’m glad this is happening now and not 10 years ago for me because I don’t think I would have been established enough in the community to know how to weave it all in,” she says. “weave in all the different people who need to come in and make this happen – we’ve built relationships with many people [who] have a vast area of knowledge in many things. It’s perfect timing.”

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