College wasn’t working out, so these friends — ages 22 and 20 — decided to bake instead

A new bakery opening at the Garvey Center called Jake’s Fresh Bakes is run by two friends who say the idea started as a joke.

Ethan Woodhams, 22, and Jacob Laflin, 20, were both enrolled in college, but because of struggles in their personal lives, school wasn’t working out, Woodhams said.

Both were skilled bakers, and friends told them they were good at it. People started jokingly suggesting that they open a bakery. Eventually, it stopped being a joke.

“We both liked baking and decided we wanted a new challenge in life,” Woodhams said.

The bakery, which will open to the public on Monday, Aug. 5, is in the space on the lower level of the Garvey Center, 220 W. Douglas, that Kira Watt’s Perfect Plate left vacant when it closed in January.

Laflin will be the main baker, and he’s known for his cinnamon rolls and his tres leches cupcakes, his partner said. The bakery also will sell cookies, brownies and pies. They may eventually add fresh-baked bread baking to their list of offerings but don’t have a timeline for that.

Starting on Monday, the bakery will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Though the bakery is counting on people who work and live at the Garvey Center to become customers, they’d also like to attract a larger audience. The space has a seating area, so people can stay and enjoy their treats or take them to go. They can also order drip coffee.

Both Woodhams and Laflin grew up with mothers who were good cooks, and both learned to bake when they were younger. They met through mutual friends in Illinois about seven years ago and remained friends. Laflin was a student at Kansas State University, and Woodhams was at Southwestern Illinois College when they decided to open the business. Woodhams relocated from Illinois to Wichita in May.

They learned about the Garvey Center space from Laflin’s aunt, Veronica Laflin, who runs a restaurant there called Omelette Pages. When Perfect Plate closed, she let her nephew know about the vacancy.

For more information about the bakery, visit its Facebook page or call 316-295-3528.

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