When the Roadside Bakery and Cafe on Main Street in Monmouth closed last year, it left a huge gap in town. It was the only restaurant left in downtown Monmouth, which was once the home of Curly’s restaurant and Leone’s pizza shop.

“There was no place in town for people to gather for a cup of coffee,” said Monmouth business owner Kelly Webb.

Together with her business partner, TJ Quinn, Webb recently opened Apple Valley Bakery at 829 Main St. to fill the gap. Quinn said they wanted to draw more people into downtown Monmouth, where the Theater at Monmouth and Monmouth Museum are located. The owners, who also own TJ’s restaurant on Route 202 in Monmouth, selected the name “Apple Valley” because of the many apple orchards in the area.

“We wanted the bakery to compliment TJ’s and we wanted a place to bake the desserts that we serve at TJ’s,” said Webb. “We also wanted a place where people could gather for coffee.”

Webb and Quinn purchased the building, which housed the former Roadside Bakery and Cafe, through an auction. Then they made extensive renovations, including a new roof and flooring. The inside walls were constructed with weathered wood , giving the interior a rustic feel.

Webb, who grew up in Monmouth and is acquainted with many of the people who visit the bakery, said she loves the quaint town and wants to help preserve its character.

“Many of the old-timers who gather here for coffee are old-timers that I knew as a kid,” said Webb. “We also have parents who stop here with their kids before school for doughnuts and kids who come in after school for pastries.”

The scent of freshly baked bread, doughnuts, turnovers and other baked goods greets customers immediately as they enter the bright yellow building. The baked goods, which also include muffins, fresh-baked bread, whoopie pies, brownies, cakes, pies and cookies, line the walls and fill the large glass case just inside the door.

Webb said they will be taking orders throughout the year, and especially during the holidays, for pies, cookies, breads and other baked goods. Recently, they were featuring chocolate whoopie pies with traditional filling and pumpkin whoopie pies with cream cheese filling. They plan to add more flavors in the future.

In addition to baked goods, customers can choose from a variety of homemade soups, including chili, cream of mushroom soup, corn chowder and haddock chowder.

Several types of quiche are also available, including one offering spinach, tomato and provolone and mozzarella cheeses and another with ham, onion and cheddar cheese. Carrabassett Coffee is served throughout the day.

Webb said their bakery staff shares the same philosophy as the owners. “We only want to put out quality products,” she said.

Pumpkin whoopie pies

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup oil

15 ounces canned pumpkin

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix first five ingredients together until smooth.

Mix the remaining ingredients together in separate bowl.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together.

Use a 1/4-cup scoop to drop the batter onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven when done and let cool completely.

Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese

3 cups confectioners sugar

1 stick softened butter

Mix together well, spread on the flat side of a cooled pumpkin cookie and sandwich with another pumpkin cookie.

Apple Valley Bakery

829 Main St., Monmouth

933-8019

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Apple-Valley-Bakery/651539371594699

Open weekdays 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; weekends 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.