New owner of Fink's Bakery asks the community for input

The new owner of the old Fink’s Bakery property in Annville is looking to the community for input on what kind of businesses they would like to see there.

Jerry Hoffsmith, president of Colonial Craft Kitchens, created a questionnaire and Facebook page for that purpose.

“Right now (the property) is a blank canvas,” Hoffsmith said. “That is one reason why we came up with the questionnaire. We have some ideas, but I want to know what the community and the surrounding communities would like.”

The questionnaires were handed out during Friends of Old Annville's Old Annville Day on June 10, and Hoffsmith also had three people walking through town during the event with iPads asking people the questionnaire questions.

The questions range from “How often do you visit downtown Annville?” to “What kind of businesses would you like to see in downtown Annville?” The questionnaire also asks, “What name do you prefer for the building complex: Shops at Fink’s or Shops at Old Fink’s Bakery.”

Hoffsmith addressed the township board of commissioners at a May 1 public meeting where he shared the idea that he wanted community input on the future of the Fink’s Bakery property.

He also met with Annville’s Historical Architecture Review Board, which governs new building projects in the township that could affect historical buildings, and representatives from Lebanon Valley College, Hoffsmith said.

“Nick Yingst, the supervisors and the historical review board have all been fantastic and have been very cooperative with me,” Hoffsmith said. “I got good feedback from them and a lot of encouragement.”

The college has also been supportive of his decision.

“They play into this pretty heavily. (The property) is basically in their front yard,” he said. “I know they have a real desire for it to be something that is viable for them as well.”

Questionnaires will go out to students once classes begin after summer break, Hoffsmith said.

Hoffsmith acquired the property after being the high bidder at the April 12 auction for the site at 25, 33 and 35 E. Main St. He settled on June 12.

Charles Fink ran a bakery called Blue Bird Bread in the rear of 30 N. King St. in 1890 before moving the business into 25 E. Main St. in 1892, according to information provided by Friends of Old Annville. Fink's Bakery operated out of the location even after being purchased by Capital Bakery in 1960. 

Fink's operated under Capital Bakery until it closed in 1968. Since then it has been a pizza shop, gift shop, art glass shop and herb shop.

The property, which was owned by the township for the past 10 years, is about 20,000-square-feet of space spread across nine buildings.

Annville Township purchased the property as part of the downtown economic development project, Annville Township Administrator Nick Yingst said.

Because of an economic downturn, the state Redevelopment Assistance Grant they received did not include the amount of money the township initially thought they would get, so they could not afford to include the old bakery property in the project.

Even though he wants the community to help decide what businesses will go onto the property, Hoffsmith purchased the property for a specific reason.

“I enjoy refurbishing and restoring old buildings,” he said. “I enjoy doing it, but I also have a desire to make Annville look as good as it can.”

The office and showroom of Colonial Craft Kitchens, which has been in Annville for about 34 years, is in the building once occupied by Kreiders Grocery Store, 344 W. Main St., and he refurbished that building along with a few others nearby, he said.

Hoffsmith’s desire to get feedback from the community plays into his overall philosophy, he said.

“I don’t just make a decision without getting good, sound counsel,” Hoffsmith said. “The Bible talks about getting sound counsel from other people and testing what you are doing to make sure that it’s going to work before you go out and do it, and that is really where I’m coming from for this.”

He feels that doing it that way is better than having his own preconceived notion of what should go into the location and not have it supported by the community, he said.

“I need to have (the community) embrace what we are going to do,” Hoffsmith said.

But first, he has to finish getting input from the people of Annville and its surrounding communities.

“My desire is to do it right. It’s not going to happen overnight,” he said. “I’m a firm believer in walking before I run.”