Cole Mountain Cafe and Bakery
In
October 2025, Stephanie Melito [photo right] became
a client of the Massachusetts SBDC - Berkshire Region. After a
30-year career in finance, Stephanie decided to follow her passion
for cooking and baking by opening a cafe. Inspired by her hobby farm
in Adams, Cole Mountain Farm, Stephanie transformed the historic
West End Market building in North Adams into Cole Mountain
Cafe and Bakery.
The cafe opened on April 23, 2026. It is a welcoming community cafe featuring fresh, organic, and pesticide-free ingredients, many of which are sourced from Stephanie's own farm. Since opening, the cafe has quickly attracted loyal customers with its homemade baked goods, breakfasts, sandwiches, ice cream, and signature fudge. Due to the rapid growth, Stephanie now employs nine people.
Stephanie's journey from the finance world to a successful
small business owner highlights how U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA) financing can help entrepreneurs turn their
passion into a thriving business that strengthens their local
community. Financing was received from a SBA 504 Loan via Greylock
Federal Credit Union.
