Thunderbird Bakery has opened the doors of a retail cafe on the corner of Sixth and Knapp Street in Oshkosh.
The building was purchased in late 2022 and is well known by many as the former Reichenberger’s Meat Market, originally built in 1915. Owners Trent Wester and Elizabeth Redman extensively renovated the building in the southside neighborhood with financing from Greater Oshkosh Economic Development, the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce and Nicolet National Bank.
“We had been looking for our own retail space since we opened our licensed commercial kitchen in 2019. This building offers convenient parking, ample square footage to grow, and is in a historic neighborhood. We knew the condition of the building would be a challenge, but we are proud of how far it has come,” said Wester, who ran the project and completed the carpentry work himself.
Much of the finish materials were salvaged, which was both a design choice and a budget decision. Enamel light fixtures came from a dairy barn in Chilton, church pews line the walls for seating, old windows carry natural light within the space, slate countertops from former pool tables in the historic Algoma Club are used at the service counter and an oak floor was salvaged from a neighbor’s house that was being torn down.
The cafe space and a small kitchen is complete, with plans to move the entire commercial production kitchen over in the next year from its current location on Planeview Drive. Future plans also include an outdoor patio and expanded hours.
“We are so grateful for all of the support we have been given from both loyal customers and our community as a whole. This has been a challenging journey to say the least, but we’re proud of the space we have created and can’t wait for our neighbors to walk and bike over for a sweet treat or loaf of bread,” said Redman.
The cafe, with an entrance on the south side of the building off of Seventh Street, offers an expanded menu that offers twists on many familiar classics: a grilled cheese, with the option to add brisket or kimchi, or a BLT with house made tomato jam, Nueske’s bacon, and local greens. You can still find handmade croissants, pastries and sourdough breads that are baked fresh daily.
Cafe hours are Wednesday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Their former cafe location inside of the Beach Building, 240 Algoma St., has closed.
Starting as home bakers at the Oshkosh Farmers Market in 2018, Thunderbird Bakery built a licensed commercial kitchen in 2019 and opened months before the COVID shutdown. Home deliveries, a growing wholesale business, and area Farmers Markets propelled growth in the retail market. They produce artisan sourdough breads, European style pastries, sweet treats and more from scratch.
