Frank Bartoli, NEPA Inclusive president and CEO, stands next to Joleen Lazecki, NEPA Inclusive board of directors vice chair and Coffee Inclusive chair board of directors, at the press conference to announce a new business venture to downtown Pittston, Bake Inclusive, a bakery working in tandem with Coffee Inclusive, to open in March 2024.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
NEPA Inclusive announces plans for new bakery
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Zach and Nicole Ratliff of Discount Tire, presented a lead grant check for $22,500, to NEPA Inclusive to kickstart the $150,000 in 150 days initiative to raise money to fund the Bake Inclusive bakery project that is scheduled to open in March 2024. Left to right: Zach and Nicole Ratliff, Joleen Lazecki, NEPA Inclusive board chair, and Frank Bartoli, NEPA Inclusive president and CEO.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Frank Bartoli, NEPA Inclusive president and CEO, stands between his daughter Ellie, left, and Christina Wesley, right, an employee of Coffee Inclusive, to announce a new business venture, Bake Inclusive, a bakery that will sit next to Coffee Inclusive at the rear of the Waterfront Warehouse building, Kennedy Blvd., Pittston. The bakery is expected to open in March 2024.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Coffee Inclusive, located at the rear of Waterfront Warehouse, floor 2, is shown during the grand opening held on March 13, 2023. Coffee Inclusive will be adjacent to the newly announced Bake Inclusive bakery scheduled to open March of 2024.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
PITTSTON — A new bakery will be added to the ever-growing line-up of businesses to downtown Pittston when Bake Inclusive opens its doors in March of 2024 at the Waterfront Warehouse Building at 22 East St., Floor 2, Pittston.
Bake Inclusive is a springboard company coming off the heels of the successful Coffee Inclusive, a coffee shop employing people with diverse abilities and Autism, which will be adjacent to Coffee Inclusive.
According to Frank Bartoli, NEPA Inclusive president and CEO, the new bakery could hire as many as 20 employees. He also stated many of the Coffee Inclusive workers will be cross-trained to work in the bakery as well.
Opening in March of this year, Coffee Inclusive has been growing exponentially and Bartoli felt it was a good time to expand seeing the need for a bakery to accompany the coffee shop.
“Coffee Inclusive is in a small location and we were looking at how we could impact more people and the space is available (at the Waterfront Warehouse building) and we thought, what would be better to celebrate our one-year anniversary than an expansion project,” Bartoli said. “The timing would be good for that and give us a little more time to get the money we need to open the bakery.”
Bartoli said the need is now for a bakery; it’s just a matter of how they would achieve that goal.
The goal NEPA Inclusive set out, is to raise funds of $150,000 in 150 days. Money raised will go towards purchasing ovens, display cases, mixers, slicers, workstations, refrigerators and baking utensils.
Donations will be accepted any time, particularly on Nov. 28, also known as Giving Tuesday, a day touted as a “global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world” by doing good deeds and donating money to charities and non-profit organizations.
In getting the ball rolling, a lead grant check for $22,500 was donated by the Discount Tire Care Foundation of the Diane & Bruce Halle Foundation. The Halles, founders of Discount Tire, created the foundation to make larger gifts that have a deeper impact in communities across the country.
On hand to present the $22,500 check were Zach Ratliff, a Discount Tire store manager from western Pennsylvania, and his wife Nicole.
“NEPA Inclusive is making such a difference in the community. Driven to Care shares their vision of providing equal opportunities to all people,” Nicole Ratliff said. “The goals and beliefs of NEPA Inclusive closely align with those of Discount Tire, reassuring our decision to support the NEPA Inclusive’s next endeavor, Bake Inclusive. Seeing what NEPA Inclusive has done with our initial donation to Coffee Inclusive, we are confident in the vision of Bake Inclusive. We are proud to provide a portion of the funds needed to complete the $150,000 in 150 day goal and encourage other businesses to invest in something so vital to our area.”
Prior to Bake Inclusive, Coffee Inclusive purchased baked good from outside vendors while having to mark up prices on those goods. Bake Inclusive will supply all baked goods to the coffee shop, according to Bartoli, and by baking goods in house; it would give Bake Inclusive a higher profit margin.
Although baked goods will be purchased at Coffee Inclusive only, the bakery will compliment the coffee shop with additional seating.
NEPA Inclusive offers programs and services to people with diverse abilities in 13-counties in Pennsylvania that is headquartered at Pittston.
For more information on NEPA Inclusive or to donate to Bake Inclusive, visit www.nepainclusive.org.
