Emma Kallmeyer walks through the door to Camino Bakery on Fourth Street, once a bustling coffee and bakery shop, now quiet, even subdued. Indie music plays, now audible in the silence.
She follows the arrows taped on the floor to the smiling, masked baristas behind the counter.
The setting did not strike Kallmeyer, as this was the new normal for businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the last year, Camino Bakery has struggled to maintain its lively presence in downtown Winston Salem. The downtown location was beloved by many members of the community, including college students, as it was a popular study space. However, with the many safety regulations of the pandemic that small businesses must adhere to, Camino Bakery fights to remain part of the community.
“I would go to Camino at least twice a week every week because the coffee and pastries were addicting and the space was just so comforting and pleasant to do work,” Kallmeyer, a Wake Forest student who lives off-campus, said. “But now since they have no seating inside, I find myself going there less.”
Camino Bakery is one of 21 coffee shops in downtown Winston Salem. Camino Bakery prides itself on the fresh quality of its pastries and coffee, and their roots in Winston Salem. The business started with Cary Clifford, a motivated baker, making cookies in Krankies’ basement, a Winston Salem storefront on Fourth Street. Her dedication to her craft and support from the community is what launched her own business in 2011 on 4th Street.
Camino Bakery imports North Carolina fresh coffee beans from Counter Culture, a Durham-based coffee brand, in order to maintain fresh ingredients and support local businesses. The success of Camino Bakery downtown allowed Clifford to expand her business into three other locations, including the location on S. Marshall Street, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, and the ZSR library at Wake Forest University. Clifford’s expansion allowed her to recruit a dedicated team of employees.
Matthew, a loyal barista, has worked for Camino Bakery for seven years. He admired the company’s strong beliefs in community and natural ingredients. His experience prior to the pandemic was exciting and stimulating as customers entertained him every day on the job.
“You used to not be able to walk around in here,” Matthew said, as he pointed to the now-empty seating area, “the place was just always packed with people.”
Camino Bakery a year after it opened in 2012.
Matthew misses the energetic environment of the coffee shop, especially during the temporary hiatus the business took during the last week in March 2020 to the last week in May 2020. Matthew shares a similar outlook with his coworker, Dan. Dan worked as a barista for Camino Bakery for five years. As the number of customers walking through the door lowered, so did his morale.
“It [the pandemic] has just sucked out everything we love about the job,” Dan said.
Dan and Matthew said they miss some of their Camino coworkers as they were let go as a result of financial challenges within the company due to the pandemic. The baristas mentioned their gratitude for their job security.
Camino Bakery’s safety guidelines have shifted dramatically in order to ensure the health and safety of not only the customers but employees. The Camino worker’s shifts have extended in order to decrease exposure among co-workers. With fewer people coming in each day, their exposure to potential risks will decrease.
“The shifts are long and you work in smaller pods of people, which makes the days go slower,” Dan said.
Significant changes for customers include a shutdown of indoor seating, a new online ordering system, and focusing on the new establishment that recently opened on the Wake Forest University campus.
In an effort to help local businesses, AraMark, an American foodservice, facility, and uniform service provider for Wake Forest University reached out to Camino Bakery in order to support local businesses in Winston Salem, according to Dan. The Camino Bakery replaced the Starbucks on campus in the ZSR Library in 2020.
“The new Camino in the library is such an upgrade from the Starbucks,” said Sarah Miller, a junior at Wake Forest University, who had tried Camino for the first time on the Wake Forest campus. “Their pastries are so much fresher; you can really taste the difference.”
As expressed on the Camino Bakery website, the team is excited to serve the Winston-Salem community safely during the pandemic and continue to persist during these difficult times for all small businesses.
Although the downtown location’s occupancy dwindles, the Wake Forest University location preserves the Camino Bakery spirit as students are always bustling through.
“Even though I don’t go to the off-campus Camino as much, the one on campus still captures the old Camino’s energy and originality,” Kallmeyer said.
