A delicious way to start this journey...

Freida Graber (left) and Martha Graber are serving up some very tasty baked goods and other delicious treats.

It was my lucky day to start my Foothills Faces journey at a bakery. I got to combine several of my favorite things in one short visit: meeting nice people, taking photos, and eating!
 
​Martha’s Amish Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe has been around since 2014. You might have visited before when it was known as Cool Mama’s Bakery.  
 
The mama is Martha Graber and her daughter, Freida Graber, own and run the bakery. They’re also the bakery chefs, the wait staff, and the dishwashers and handle all of that with precision and grace. Martha’s Amish Bakery is filled with wonderful smells of fresh-baked goods including muffins, scones, cinnamon rolls, and an amazing variety of breads. The coffee is good, too. It’s all good!
 
It was a busy morning with a steady stream of customers when I visited today. Some enjoyed their treats in the shop and others grabbed it to go. I’m thinking those taking it to go opened up their treats before making it out of the parking lot.
 
The bakery itself offers a warm and comfortable seating area surrounded with Amish-inspired décor. It’s the kind of place you’d feel welcome sitting around for ten minutes or an hour.
 
Martha said they started cooking and selling baked goods at the Saturday morning Columbus Farmer’s Market back in 2004 when they moved to Polk County. As the demand for their treats got to be too much for their home, they knew it was time to find a permanent place. Martha says, “It has been a process to get to this point. We’re really excited to be here and see the business grow.”
 
Martha and Freida moved to Polk County from Guthrie, Kentucky where Martha’s parents founded the first Amish community in that state back in 1958. There’s a large community of Amish living in Kentucky now but I can tell you for sure…I’m glad these two moved to Polk County.
 

Lots of fresh-baked breads.

Martha starts laying the groundwork for a custom-made sandwich.

More to Know:
 
Martha’s Amish Bakery & Sandwich Shoppe is located in the Green Greek Community at 6431 Highway 9 South just a stone’s throw from the blinking light at the corner of Landrum Road and Highway 9. They’re open Wednesday through Saturday for early morning snacks, tasty lunch sandwiches, coffee, and more. Check them out on Facebook. Phone: 828/ 863-4643.