Coffee Lands Big In Waynedale
A “new” coffee shop is opening its doors in the string of businesses along Lower Huntington Road, according to the shop’s owner.
Landing Zone Coffee and Bake House opened its doors early last month, absorbing the space once occupied by Sunshine Bakery at 2610 Lower Huntington Road.
“We had our grand opening on October 10,” said owner Brent Belote, “That was not long after the owner of the Sunshine Bakery decided to retire.”
He said his shop will offer the same great baked goods customers loved about Sunshine, in addition to his coffee offerings.
“We’ve got the same great coffee, the same donuts, and new savory baked goods, too.” He said the additional savory items include baked breads, scones, bagels, rolls, and muffins.
The store now also offers “gluten-friendly” items, he added. That menu includes blueberry scones, pumpkin-chocolate muffins, and chocolate chip cookies, he said.
Belote also stressed that – unlike Sunshine – his shop will not create decorated cakes. He did say the store will be taking holiday orders for the upcoming season.
“Cookies, breads, donuts, bagels – anything people want that will keep my bakers busy,” he joked. “And anything we sell in our cases, we will offer in bulk.”
And his java is some of the best in town, Belote added proudly.
“We still do all our coffee roasting in house,” he said. “We’re a small-batch roaster, so it comes in green and leaves as coffee.
“We’ve got the freshest coffee in town.”
Belote founded the original Landing Zone on Lower Huntington in 2021. He already was a landlord in the area, owning buildings along Lower Huntington Road.
Belote just decided to enlarge the one at 2610, rather than lease out the empty space to someone else.
“Sunshine’s owner decided to retire and move on, so instead of leasing out the space, I just opted to expand my business.”
Belote didn’t change much about the exterior or interior of the shop. Eventually, he said, there will be a new sign out front advertising Landing Zone.
“For now, folks just have to look for the big, yellow sign out front that says ‘Sunshine,’“ he said.
Belote also added a refurbished lounge area in the front of his shop. The expanded lounge offers a comfy couch, two tables, a television, and a Sega Genesis video game console for gamer customers.
Belote said the lounge area is really more of a convenience, as most of his trade is grab and go.
“Most of my business it take out,” he explained.
Belote, 61, who retired from the phone company a few years ago, lived in Waynedale during much of the 1990s, and attended Elmhurst High School as a teenager.
He said he wanted to keep the business a bakery as it has been the last few years, as well as continue to serve his community.
“I didn’t want it to be anything but a bakery,” he said. “So, it’s going to stay that way.”
“I like to support my community and I like a community like Waynedale that supports me,” Belote added.
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