Amethyst Bee Cakery, a “micro-bakery” that got its start in the Grand Rapids Downtown Market incubator kitchen, is now open in Rockford. Located at 46 E Bridge St., in a building shared with Haven Creek, Amethyst Bee offers small-batch treats including cookies, macarons, custom cakes, cupcakes and even pupcakes – special treats for canines made with all fresh ingredients.
Amethyst Bee is owned by Paula Reed, a neurophysiologist with an MA in Health Administration, who is making a huge career change to follow her dreams. She began her business in the Downtown Market’s incubator kitchen in June 2019, taking custom orders and selling her specialty treats through word-of-mouth. Reed is now in the process of graduating from the shared kitchen.
“The Incubator Kitchen at the Downtown Market provided professional equipment and a space to start without the overhead of leasing my own building right away, which was amazing,” said Reed. “Now that I’m starting to get my name out a bit more, I’m thrilled to have this space in Rockford, which is such a friendly and welcoming community, so that my customers have a physical space to get Amethyst Bee treats.”
The inspiration behind the name “Amethyst Bee” came from a combination of Reed’s favorite gemstone, amethyst, and the urban myth made famous in the Bee Movie that according to physics, bees shouldn’t be able to fly. But “the bee of course, flies anyway, because bees don’t care what humans think is impossible.” With her schooling and career history in an entirely different industry, this story resonated with Reed. However, like the bee, she felt drawn to pursuing an unexpected path.
Amethyst Bee can accommodate special requests for baked goods, such as vegan, sugar-free and gluten-free items. She is currently planning out featured “flavors of the week” for the winter months, and also plans to add to the retail selection in her Rockford shop with pre-packaged, handmade buttercream frosting, one of her specialties, as well as gluten-free cake mix and local honey, paying homage to the shop’s name.
In addition to baked treats, Amethyst Bee Cakery also offers beverages including locally-sourced coffee from Littlefoot Coffee Roasters in Grandville, loose-leaf tea and homemade malted hot cocoa with homemade marshmallows. Littlefoot Coffee developed a special blend for Amethyst Bee, which is also available by the bag at the cakery storefront. Amethyst Bee is currently open Thursday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
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