Ayame Merkel reported this story on assignment from Lakes Region Free Press. The Community News Service is a program in which students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost.
Last August, Deborah Laiacona and her husband and business partner Arthur, opened Ruby’s Bistro and Bakery, combining valuable wisdom from past experience with a new vision and new goals.
Months later, the business is thriving.
Ruby’s is located in downtown Fair Haven. The bistro half of the business includes a sit-down area and serves soups, sandwiches, crepes and more. The bakery offers a wide selection of sweets that ranges from cannolis and eclairs to brownies and baklava. On top of that, Arthur Laiacona is an experienced beekeeper, and his products are for sale at Ruby’s.
According to Deborah Laiacona, the bakery in Ruby’s is more prominent than the bakery in their previous business, Rosewood Cafe, that they opened in 2019. Unfortunately, it was one of many small Vermont businesses that suffered a blow from the pandemic. After closing the cafe, the couple sold crepes, honey and vegetables at the Rutland Farmers Market. Encouraged by their success at the farmers market, the Laiaconas put in the hard work to make Ruby’s Bistro and Bakery into what it is now.
Laiacona’s favorite menu items are the tomato vegetable soup, the “Vermonter” crepe and the Caprese crepe. Among their most popular is the chicken cranberry Waldorf salad.
“That was a favorite over at Rosewood and people love it here…it’s a very big seller,” she said.
Even with the couple’s background in business, operating Ruby’s Bistro and Bakery was a learning experience right from the beginning.
“I thought that in every season except summer probably, Art and I would be able to handle it ourselves and…we absolutely can’t. We’re that busy,” Laiacona said. “Learning what works in Fair Haven” and what menu items people like has been crucial in developing the business. Getting customers’ feedback is something the Laiaconas are very open to.
“We like hearing from our customers,” Laiacona said.
One of the biggest challenges is getting the word out that the business is open and running.
“People have their set habits…they already have their routines. And so, to get someone to come to a new business, you’re kind of asking them to change their routine and think about stopping into someplace they’ve never been before,” Laiacona said. “That is the challenge.”
However, the Laiaconas have proven that they are always up for challenges. Laiacona and her husband spend Mondays “prepping for the baking for the week…making doughs and fillings and mixes.” On the days they’re open, they get there around 7 a.m.
While days are long and busy, Laiacona describes them as fulfilling. Her favorite part of her daily routine is baking—especially presenting new baked goods and seeing customers’ reactions.
“When you have customers say, ‘That was excellent, we’ll be back’…that’s probably [one of] the brightest moments,” she said.
What really sets Ruby’s apart is the memories woven into the business. Sprinkled throughout the bistro are figures and pictures of a beagle—a tribute to the Laiaconas’ late dog, Ruby. The “Milo cheesesteak” sandwich or crepe on the menu is in memory of the Laiaconas’ other dog.
Positive reviews of Ruby’s show that the business is off to a good start.
Locals Martha and John Vescio learned of Ruby’s from its Facebook page. According to John Vescio, the new business is valuable to the community because it provides “a place for people to gather, bringing in new traffic downtown.”
Martha Vescio commented on the bistro’s “link to the past,” as the location was once Fair Haven’s first bank—marked by the vault door that adds a historic aspect to the interior decor. She also described the bistro’s atmosphere as “super cozy.”
That atmosphere is one of the Laiaconas’ goals for their business.
“Because we’ve made it really cozy in here, and the music is nice and relaxed…it feels real homey, almost like a home away from home,” Laiacona said.
She explained how in France, a “bistro” is a casual restaurant, with “good quality food at a reasonable price.”
“We want people to feel like they can come here not only for special occasions, so we’re happy to see that people are using it that way,” Laiacona said. “A bistro is a casual place…it’s nicely decorated and all, but it’s for everybody. We really want everybody to feel welcome here.”
Ruby’s is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, they reopen from 5-9 p.m. for dinner.