A power generator isn’t typically at the top of the wish list for an artisan bakery. But after suffering through the consequences of electricity outages during floods, fires and public safety power shut-offs, Nightingale Breads owner Jessie Frost is asking for help to keep the lights on, literally.
Frost recently set up a Go Fund Me page seeking $50,000 in donations to upgrade her tiny Forestville bakery. A large chunk of that money would buy a generator to keep the ovens on, the water hot and the refrigerators running to preserve valuable ingredients during power outages. Like many local restaurants and businesses, Nightingale Breads lost power for more than 12 hours during the recent rain storms, hampering their ability to bake.
“As it’s become clear that these sorts of interruptions in business will continue to happen, we’ve decided this purchase will be a great asset for us,” Frost said about the generator on the Go Fund Me page.
Frost took over Nightingale Breads in 2018 after founder Beth Thorp retired. Since then, she’s slowly grown the business to include more grab-and-go items, including sandwiches and an expanded lineup of sweets and breads.
Many area restaurateurs are looking into alternative power sources after losing thousands of dollars’ worth of ingredients and prepared products in their commercial refrigerators and freezers during power outages and shut-offs. Events like these also shutter restaurants for days, further hurting revenue. Many can’t afford external generators, and it’s likely we’ll see more local fundraising efforts to keep doors open during the ongoing natural disasters that have become business as usual in Sonoma County.
To make a donation and learn more about Nightingale Breads’ vision for the future, visit nightingalebreads.com. The bakery is located at 6665 Front St., Forestville.