Rountree bakery and meat shop Butcher Plus Baker plans to change its name and business model next week.
Co-owner Katie Kring said effective Nov. 1, the 607 S. Pickwick Ave. shop will become B Plus B Boulangerie & Fair-Weather Cafe. A boulangerie is a French bakery that specializes in bread, while the cafe name refers to the store’s outdoor seating, she said.
Kring, who owns the business with Aden Watson, said fresh meats sold at the shop represent only a small percentage of business. The bakery side accounts for 70 percent, with gourmet sandwiches made on-site representing 25 percent.
“Our space is about 500 square feet. There are just very real limits to what is possible in terms of time and space,” Kring said. “The meat concept did not sell as well as we originally hoped.”
While the store is dropping sales of fresh meat, B Plus B Boulangerie & Fair-Weather Cafe will continue to sell sandwiches. Kring said the shop has enough lunch meat made by its employees to last for a while, but they will switch to a high-quality alternative when supply runs out.
“I’m kind of a lunch meat snob. I have extremely high standards,” she said.
Currently employing three, B Plus B Boulangerie & Fair-Weather Cafe will bump up to six or seven for the holidays. Bakery goods include pastries, pies and wedding cakes.
In February, bakery KatieMade and butcher shop A.J. Watson & Sons merged to form Butcher Plus Baker. Watson no longer works day to day in the shop but maintains his co-ownership, Kring said.
Moseley’s Discount Office Products was purchased; Side Chick opened in Branson; and the Springfield franchise store of NoBaked Cookie Dough changed ownership.
