One Belle Bakery has reopened following a renovation and expansion. The bakery now offers café seating, coffee and an expanded sweets selection.
 
Owner Anna Echols said her most urgent need was for a larger production space to accommodate an increased number of special-order cakes and confections.
 
“I knew I what I really needed was more kitchen space, but adding the café just makes sense,” Echols said.
 
Decorated in soothing, sophisticated greys and whites, with marble tables and comfy sectional seating, the café invites customers to indulge in a cup of coffee and a sweet.
 
New to the menu are hot glazed doughnuts and a variety of breakfast pastries such as muffins, croissants and danishes.
 
When Echols opened One Belle in 2013, she was a one-woman operation. Now with six employees, Echols said she has expanded the selection of whole cakes and pies, as well as cake and pie by the slice and goodies such as cookies, cupcakes, brownies and mini-trifles.
 
Echols recently convinced her former culinary school baking partner Eddie Hughes to relocate from New York to Wilmington to join her team. From day one at Le Cordon Bleu in Orlando, Echols said that she and Hughes have complemented one another.
 
“He excels in everything I lack,” Echols said. “He loves to focus on the baking, and I prefer the decorating.”
 
While many customers bring in photos of cakes they would like for her to recreate, Echols said she always looks to put her own spin on things and make each cake is unique. One Belle is filled with display cakes of all kinds, from a groom’s cake resembling a bucket filled with oysters to colorful children’s birthday cakes resembling construction sites and sea creatures.
 
“I’ve had a ton of fun making new display cakes for the store,” Echols said. “I’ve tried to come up with something fun for just about every occasion.”
 
One Belle also now has a private consultation room for custom orders and tastings. Decorated with photos of Echols' custom wedding cakes and a grand crystal chandelier, it’s a space designed to feed the imagination.
 
One Belle Bakery is located at 1616 Shipyard Blvd. and open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
 
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