From home baking to Shiloh's Ark Cafe and Bakery
The owner of Shilo’s Ark Cafe spent nearly a year preparing to open her business, but when opening day finally arrived, she never could’ve expected the response.
“I didn’t know we were going to have that big of a turnout,” said Kaitlyn Cool .
“Everyone I knew showed up.”
Cool is the owner of Shiloh’s Ark Cafe, a new bakery and coffee shop in Troy that held its grand opening on Sept. 5. Located at 104 Troy Plaza Loop, Troy, Alabama, the cafe grew out of Cool’s home baking and catering business and was designed as a place for customers to study, meet or spend time.
For Cool, the cafe is about more than baked goods and coffee. She hopes it can
provide Troy with what she describes as a “third place” – a place outside of work,
school or home where people can spend time together.
“We’ve kind of lost that third place,” Cool said. “For so many years myself, I was
going straight from school to work to home, or just from work to home.”
Cool designed the cafe with that experience in mind, including free Wi-Fi, outlets
and seating for customers who want to spend time there.
“I just thought about what I would want back in the day when I was a student and
what I would need now for myself,” Cool said.
Cool’s interest in baking began in high school, when she and her brother would
make their own breakfasts and experiment in the kitchen.
“I think that’s kind of where I really, really enjoyed having that place in the kitchen
to experiment and kind of play around with things,” Cool said.
Cool initially studied engineering in college before switching to hospitality man-
agement. She later moved to Washington, D.C., before returning to Alabama.
After taking a break from baking, Cool began experimenting with cake pops while
working at Baumhower’s Bar and Grill. She eventually began selling baked goods
from home while working toward her goal of opening a physical location.
By Christmas of last year, the business had grown enough that Cool was schedul-
ing pickup times for customers outside her home.
“I was like, ‘I already feel like a brick and mortar,’” Cool said.
Cool later expanded into cakes, weddings and other catering orders while continu-
ing to work toward opening the cafe.
Opening the storefront took about a year, and Cool said securing the loan was one
of the biggest challenges.
Cool originally looked at a smaller former cell phone store nearby, but the property
owners instead showed her another place that had previously been a nail salon.
“They walked me over here, and it was still the nail salon,” Cool said. “They were
still moving all the stuff out, tile broken everywhere, and they said, ‘This is the is
the spot for you.’”
The name Shiloh’s Ark combines two important parts of Cool’s life, her dog and
her faith.
Shiloh, Cool’s German shepherd, turns 11 this year and was the first dog Cool
considered entirely her own. Shiloh has stayed with her through moves across the
country and her return to Alabama.
“She’s been with me through everything,” Cool said. “We’ve traveled the country
together.”
Cool originally had two separate ideas for future businesses, a restaurant named
Shiloh’s and a coffee shop called The Ark. She eventually decided to combine the
names.
“It was always about Shiloh,” Cool said.
Cool said her Christian faith also played a role in pursuing the business and devel-
oping the idea for her bakery.
“The whole reason I have this place is because of God,” Cool said.
After months of construction, the loan process and preparation, Cool finally
opened the doors to Shiloh’s Ark.
Cool said she had slept little during the two days leading up to the grand opening,
but the turnout surprised her.
“This is why I came back,” Cool said. “This is the reason why I love this town
so much – it’s because people stay true to their word and the community is just
overpowering.”
During one of the days following the opening, Cool sold all of the baked goods
she prepared.
“I had to sit down for a second and be like, ‘OK, that’s crazy,’” Cool said.
“[Troy] is a small town, but it certainly felt big that day,” Cool said.
Despite reaching the goal she worked toward for nearly a year, Cool said opening
Shiloh’s Ark still does not feel entirely real.
The day after the grand opening, Cool counted down the register and prepared to
make a bank deposit. As she put the money into the deposit bag, she realized she was
about to deposit it into her own business account.
“I felt like I was stealing,” Cool said. “I was like, ‘This feels wrong.’
“I don’t think it’s hit me yet. I kind of feel like I just work here.”
Those looking to learn more about Shiloh’s Ark can visit their site at shilohsarkcafe.com. The business is closed on Tuesdays, but serves the community on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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