The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Dexter Bakery's new owner settles in
By Sean Dalton, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: May 22, 2008
†Kim Yam, who had owned Dexter Bakery since 1994, has always maintained that she would not sell her beloved Dexter business until she found "the right person."
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Apparently long time customer and Dexter resident Karen Dudek fit the bill, because she has been settling in as the new owner of the bakery for the past couple months.
"It's been crazy and fun," Dudek said. "I came in here basically every day since last December before purchasing the bakery on April 15."
One of Yam's bakers has remained on staff as Dudek's head baker and Yam's nephew has been working with Dudek every night to help her learn the ins and outs of running a downtown treasure that has received praise from the likes of the Downtown Development Authority's membership to fellow business owners in the downtown area.
Dudek is a career paralegal with two decades of experience in law under her belt. She and her husband have owned a number of businesses in and around the Dexter area.
"I basically managed the whole law firm, Kessler, Mullkoff and Hooberman, and have helped my husband run his businesses," Dudek said. "We knew that we wanted to find a business for me, and it took us a long time to find the bakery."
Dudek says she still wakes up in the morning in amazement that she owns the bakery that she has frequented so often as a member of the Dexter community.
She has a 9-year-old daughter and a 12-year old son in Dexter Community Schools. They're no stranger to the bakery, she says.
"My husband and I would come in here and get a doughnut and coffee when we owned the carwash here in town," Dudek said. "It became our normal stop after that. My daughter would come with us and want the little gingerbread houses and when my husband would take our kids to preschool he would stop and get them a doughnuts. Later we would stop off on the way to soccer or gymnastics. I think that's what most folks in this town do."
Not only is Dudek going to maintain the community feel that she enjoyed herself years before even dreaming of owning the bakery, but she is going to maintain Yam's dedication to running the baker in the German bakery style that has been handed down from owner to owner.
She did say there would be some additions.
"We want to make changes that are minor, such as cosmetic changes to the walls and ceilings," Dudek said. "We know that people in the town don't want us to make huge changes. Don't worry, it's not going to be a Starbucks."
She also says at some point the Dexter Bakery under her ownership will offer soup and sandwiches at lunch time.
The bakery's operations, processes and recipes have been in place for almost 100 years.
Yam remains the owner of the building that the Dexter Bakery is in and will remain Dudek's landlord.
Anyone who misses Yam shouldn't feel too bad. She says she feels like she is "on vacation," although she misses the Dexter community that has so far enthusiastically sustained the landmark baking business.
"I'm just right now trying to make things smaller scale," Yam said of her other bakery in Pinckney.
"We will miss the customers. The business in Dexter has been good and you can tell the parents love it."
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