(From left) Employee Cindy Hay and owners Zach and Riley Madar
Riley Madar had dreamed of opening her own bakery someday, but it always seemed far in the future—until a few months ago.
Riley, who has been a baker at Anna Rose Bakery & Coffee Shop in downtown Harrisburg for the past four years, is now taking on the role of business owner, along with her husband Zach.
When the previous owners offered Riley the opportunity to take over Anna Rose, she was hesitant at first, but couldn’t pass it up.
“I did some thinking and said, ‘OK, maybe I am capable of doing this,’” she said.
Local restaurateur Ron Kamionka originally opened Anna Rose on Walnut Street in 2017 and moved the storefront to N. 2nd Street in 2020.
While the Harrisburg couple officially took over the reins at the beginning of the month, they will host a grand reopening celebration on Sept. 30, offering specials throughout the week.
For the past decade, Riley has honed her self-taught skills, baking and cake decorating cakes at various bakeries including, most recently, Anna Rose. She was grateful for the freedom to experiment and try new things that Anna Rose granted her—part of the reason she decided to stay.
However, being the owner has required a whole new learning process and lots of help from Zach, a numbers and self-proclaimed spreadsheet guy, along with family support. Several former Anna Rose employees are also sticking around, as the team has become a family.
Riley assured regular customers, of which there are many, that favorite treats like cookies, cupcakes and cheesecakes will stay. She does plan to offer a few new menu items like bagels, crème brulé and cake flights. Catering services will also expand, with a possibility of delivery options in the future.
The outside of the shop will keep its signature pink, but inside Riley is making some small updates—fresh paint, a new chandelier, lots of flowers—to better reflect her personality.
“I’m just excited to make it my own,” she said. “I want to make it a fun environment.”
As a true creative type, she has lots of ideas and is often multitasking, which has earned her the nickname “Hurricane Riley” among her co-workers.
“She fills the space,” said high school sweetheart Zach, who helps with lots of the backend work. “She’s so talented. I’m so proud of her.”
Employee Cindy Hay, who has worked at Anna Rose since 2018, was excited to see Riley take over. Because all of the staff are so close, the transition has been easy, even if Riley’s newly instated pink aprons are too girly for her taste, Hay joked.
“There is that family environment; I’m kind of the maternal one here,” she said. “It’s nice.”
To celebrate during the grand reopening week, Anna Rose will offer, on certain days, buy one-get-one-free muffins, free coffee with any order, half-off brownies and other deals.
“Our customers are awesome. People like us, and I want to keep that energy,” Riley said. “I want everyone to continue to enjoy coming.”
Anna Rose Bakery & Coffee Shop is located at 100 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their website.
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