Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
With a new tenant moving into Uniontown’s Vollmer building, production for Grandma Lela’s oatmeal is in a transition period.
After making the Uniontown product in the Vollmer building’s back kitchen space since March 2013, Grandma Lela’s owners moved out of the building last October. The change came after potential new tenants expressed interest in the space, which is owned by the Uniontown Community Development Association.
“They had another tenant and thought it was a better fit for the building, and I agreed,” said Grandma Lela’s co-owner Cheryl Waller.
She is now in the process of arranging for production at Uniontown’s New Sage Baking building, where Waller works part-time.
Wawawai Canyon Winery is moving into the Vollmer Building.
“The people from the winery approached Cheryl,” said Dale Miller, President of the UCDA. “We could not be involved… We could not cancel the lease.”
According to Miller, Bob and Stacia Moffett of Wawawai Canyon, first came to him and the UCDA, asking about the building’s availability. Miller then explained about the five-year lease that Grandma Lela’s had.
“That’s not our call, you’ve got to talk to Cheryl about that,” Miller told the Gazette.
The Moffetts later spoke to Waller and came to an agreement for her to break the lease and sell them her equipment inside the building.
Grandma Lela’s was on a graduated lease, and had made one agreement with the UCDA to delay an increase in rent.
Today, while Grandma Lela’s oatmeal is still available at New Sage Baking, outside distribution is on hold as Waller files for the proper state and federal licenses for the new location.
“We’ve scaled back just until we get the right process down in a new facility,” Waller said. Retail locations on temporary hiatus include Dissmore’s in Pullman and three WSU student stores.
“We’re still working out the kinks for this,” Waller said. “I want to make sure I can meet all of the requirements. We’re just adjusting. The beauty of a small business is you can make adjustments along the way.”
While New Sage Baking will become the new production area, Waller indicated it may also begin to distribute Grandma Lela’s to other venues.
The bakery already supplies various cafes in the area with their goods, such as Events on Main in Colfax and Café Moro in Pullman.
“What we had at Vollmer was the dream kitchen,” Waller said. “Dreams don’t last forever. What I have now is working just as well.”
Waller indicated that production times are being worked out, but will likely be Mondays and Tuesdays when the retail side of New Sage Baking is closed.
Grandma Lela’s has just two employees – Waller and co-founder Kathy Stilwell.
Wawawai Canyon Winery expects to open in Uniontown sometime in February.
“With Grandma Lela’s new production location and Wawawai Canyon coming in, we hope to have both as successful businesses in Uniontown,” Miller said.
Wawawai Canyon Winery, which began in 2004, will move from its existing space on the Moscow-Pullman highway, in a former dairy barn which the owner has put up for sale.
The Vollmer Building consists of three rooms, including a 10,033 square-foot side garage which the Moffetts plan to use as a cellar area, with room for an entertainment space, opening to the street by double garage doors.
The UCDA is a public, non-profit group appointed by the Uniontown city council. Its previous projects include buying and restoring the Main Street building which houses New Sage Baking Co. and the project to restore the Dahmen Barn.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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