As Heritage Bakery & Café marks a decade in Downtown Harrisonburg, co-owner Brenda Loewen reflects on what the milestone represents: a decade of creating a multigenerational gathering space, of bringing "a little grace" to people's days, and of watching her daughter Isabel grow into a skilled baker and the creative force behind the café's distinctive charm.

A Decade of Evolution

Heritage opened in 2015 in the historic Hardesty-Higgins House, starting with ambitious ideas about baked goods before quickly learning what the community really needed: breakfast and lunch alongside those beautiful pastries.

"Over time, you sort of kind of evolve into who you truly are or truly want to be," Brenda explains. "You start off not really knowing what people need and want, and then what we want, and it has to meet right in that middle."

That evolution has led Heritage to embrace its identity as a French country-inspired space full of antique charm, a place that stands in intentional contrast to Harrisonburg's hipster establishments. As the café enters its second decade, they're applying for a downtown grant to refresh their patio furniture, exploring rebranding with a cohesive logo and visual identity, and considering window decals that echo their romantic aesthetic.

"We are definitely more French country, antiquey, old charm," Brenda says. "That's what we're all about."

Sunday Teas: A Return to Grace

One of Heritage's newest offerings—afternoon teas every Sunday—represents the heart of what Brenda and Isabel are trying to create: a space that slows people down and brings back "some of the best bits of the old."

Walking into Heritage on a Sunday afternoon, guests encounter tables covered in vibrant floral tablecloths, antique teacups and saucers, mismatched china collected over ten years, and an atmosphere that's anything but stuffy.

"It's very eclectic, It's vibrant, it's full of color, and it's a little goofy, because that's who we are." Brenda describes.

The tea service includes the traditional scones, tea sandwiches, and sweets—all with Heritage's signature twist. Jazz standards play in the background. Customers choose which tablecloth and tea set speaks to them, creating a personalized experience.

Many of the tea sets come with their own stories. Customers whose grandmothers have passed bring in heirloom china, trusting Heritage to give these treasures a good home and keep them in use.

"Some are the cups we just keep here, and others, if we have sets, I'll use them for tea," Brenda explains. "It's sort of like, I think what we're trying to do is bring back some of the best bits of the old and introduce it to a whole new generation."

The Sunday teas grew from the four fancy reservation-only teas Heritage has offered annually since opening (Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Halloween, and Christmas). Brenda felt strongly that Harrisonburg needed a place where people could simply show up on a Sunday afternoon and decompress.

"I just really feel like this town, every town, needs a place where people can just go chill and just have a moment," she says.

Tea as an Antidote to Modern Life

There's something intentional about serving tea in antique china rather than disposable cups, about using real silverware and plates rather than plastic.

"There's something about tea," Brenda reflects. "It really does inspire conversation. When you sit and pour a cup of tea, just sort of enjoying a hot beverage, it's a whole different—it's a paradigm shift. That's not what our society does these days."

“The choices that we made in terms of our plates and silverware and cups are all trying to say, relax, take a deep breath. Have a little elegance. Just have a little grace in your life, and just slow down and take a moment.”

— Brenda Loewen

This philosophy extends to the weekday menu as well, where Heritage offers everything from Isabel's elegant pastries to Brenda "old school" snickerdoodles and egg salad sandwiches—representing the intergenerational yin and yang that defines the café.

A Mother-Daughter Partnership

The partnership between Brenda Loewen and her daughter Isabelle has evolved significantly over ten years. After working together full-time during the first year, Brenda returned to work at UVA while Isabel took over as the creative force and face of Heritage.

"It has been so much better," Brenda reflects. "I can do this stuff that she's not good at, and she's here with her beautiful face and beautiful smile and her just great way of cooking and baking."

Isabelle, who graduated from JMU with a public health degree and worked as activities director at VMRC, brought her artistic, crafty sensibility to Heritage. Her cakes have become legendary, with families ordering birthday cakes year after year, couples returning for anniversary cakes, and wedding cake orders that Isabel takes "very personally."

"What she's done in terms of just the cakes and her decor and the way things look, and that little bit of romantic whimsy that she brings to everything, that's just her personality manifesting itself," Brenda says. "It's been so fun for me as a mom, watching her just sort of become what you call it, she's really found herself."

While Isabelle brings the storybook magic—the Peter Rabbit books, the mice decorations, the dreamy aesthetic—Brenda handles the "boring behind the scenes stuff": bookkeeping, ordering supplies, organizing the back room. Her project management skills translate perfectly to running a small business.

"Any mom of three can do what I do. We're all project managers," she notes.

Community at the Core

“The thing that I’m most proud of is the community involvement. It’s really important to us that we be a place that’s not just for visitors coming through, but also that it’s for families, for the elderly, for people coming in with their young kids. It’s like a multigenerational place to be.”

— Brenda Loewen

Heritage participates in the Cookie Tour and provides sugar cookies for the library's holiday events where Brenda Loewen plays Mrs. Claus each year. They maintain a toy stash for young children and offer a 25-cent shortbread cookie to ensure there's "something for everybody."

The café has become a place where customers are greeted by name, where families have ordered birthday cakes since their babies were born, and where students and seniors sit side by side.

Navigating Challenges with Purpose

The past year brought economic challenges familiar to restaurants across the country: ingredient costs soaring (especially eggs), reduced foot traffic, and difficult decisions about pricing.

"We do not want to raise our prices, and we haven't raised our prices for a long time, and we're at the point where it's like, darn it, we need to raise our prices," Brenda Loewen admits.

Heritage found a local egg supplier to support their commitment to local sourcing, even though those eggs cost more. They're exploring ways to help with food insecurity, reaching out to local schools about participating in backpack programs.

The challenges have brought a "renewed sense of purpose," Brenda Loewen says.

"There's just a lot of people suffering, and it's hard times for a lot of people," she reflects. "We just want to make sure that we are being inclusive, and that we are being welcome to everybody. When you feel that sort of little gloom and doom, you have a choice—that doom and gloom, meet it with joy and optimism."

A Place of Joy

That commitment to joy isn't just marketing speak. It's embedded in everything from the whimsical mice decorations to the care taken with each wedding cake, from the warm greetings customers receive to the beautiful patio where families can relax.

"This is not a place to come and be grumpy," Brenda says with a laugh. "This is a place to come and take a few moments to yourself or meet up with some friends, but the goal is to be gracious. That's the goal."

The café's location in the visitor center adds another dimension to this mission. Heritage isn't just serving locals, they're often the first impression visitors have of Harrisonburg.

"We're like envoys for the city; this is a lot of people's first experience in Harrisonburg. So it's nice that they can come in and we can be friendly, fill up their water bottle, make sure their dog has water outside." Brenda explains.

Looking Forward

As Heritage enters its second decade, the foundation is solid: a devoted community, a distinctive identity, a mother-daughter partnership that balances creativity and practicality, and an unwavering commitment to creating moments of grace in people's lives.

Private tea parties are becoming more popular for bridal showers and birthdays. The Sunday afternoon teas continue to grow. And the everyday magic continues—children pulling out toys on the big carpet, customers lingering over pots of Reishi tea, families celebrating milestones with Isabel's cakes.

"It really is a gathering place," Brenda reflects. "Sometimes you'll see kids with all the toys pulled out, and it's like, please don't trip over that little kid. But to them, it's open play space. It's perfect."

Perfect, indeed—just like the vision of a place where elegance meets whimsy, where old-school comfort meets creative innovation, and where taking a moment to enjoy a cup of tea in an antique teacup becomes an act of resistance against a too-fast world.

Heritage Bakery & Café is located in the Harrisonburg Visitor Center at 212 S Main St. They're open Tuesday through Saturday 8am-2pm and Sundays for afternoon tea. Custom cakes and private tea parties available by order.

Interview by Sarah Golibart Gorman | Written & edited by Michelle Hinegardner

Heritage Bakery & Café: Ten Years of Grace, Whimsy, and Community