Kelly’s Bakery Greets Poughkeepsie with Fresh Bread and Big Hearts
A small sampling of the baked goods found at the newly-opened Kelly’s Bakery on Delafeld St. in Poughkeepsie. Courtesy of Aaron Maldonado and Kevin Halim.
Just a five-minute stroll from Marist College lies Kelly’s Bakery. Recently opened by owners Kevin Halim and Darrin Oakley, Kelly’s Bakery is a traditional cafe with a modern twist and welcoming mission.
A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu and the Culinary Institute of America, Halim boasts an impressive resume working in well-established restaurants. “I didn’t want to go to business school,” Halim said, chuckling while sharing how he got his start in the kitchen. “I decided to be a bit of a rebel and apply to culinary school without my parents knowing.”
After a career working in culinary and pastry arts across the country, Halim and his husband, Oakley returned home to the Hudson Valley. The couple settled into life in Poughkeepsie, and Halim took a break from plated pastries while discovering a new passion for bread baking. Amidst the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Halim and Oakley found themselves with more loaves of bread than their family could consume.
Sharing his husband’s impressive bakes on Facebook, Oakley began to recognize the comments Halim’s artisan bread attracted. With Halim deep into his new quarantine activity, the couple decided to sell their fresh baked loaves on Facebook. “Within 45 minutes, we sold out.”
They took this as a sign to open a bakery of their own. Oakley, born and raised in Poughkeepsie, dreamed of reviving the local bakery atmosphere he grew up in. “There hasn't been a fresh bread bakery nearby for a long time,” Halim said. The pair strives to complement the memories of Poughkeepsie’s old local shops for a modern and diverse community.
In addition to baked goods from Culinary Institute-trained chef/co-owner Kevin Halim, Kelly’s Bakery also offers a wide selection of hand-crafted drinks. Courtesy of Aaron Maldonado and Kevin Halim.
Halim and Oakley focus on creating a safe and welcoming space that is also present on the menu. Halim wants all of his customers to receive the full flavor of each item, regardless of dietary concerns. As a result, they crafted a vegetarian-based menu that includes a collection of gluten-free desserts as well.
“From someone that’s adventurous to someone more traditional, we have something for everyone,” Halim said, comparing the cafe’s beetroot latte to their beloved classic cinnamon roll.
“[Kelly’s Bakery] is not just some fancy bakery,” as Halim puts it, but a place for everyone to call home.
“This is a safe space for anyone under any condition,” Oakley said. Even during a global pandemic, Oakley emphasizes the importance of creating a safe and welcoming environment for all. No matter your allergies, your culture, your social class, or your race, Halim and Oakley greet everyone with open arms.
They even extend a warm welcome down to their four-legged friend for whom “Kelly’s Bakery” is named after: Kelly, Halim’s beloved dog. What began as a joke between the couple, turned into a metaphor for the bakery’s message on inclusion and community. “I want a place where people can bring their whole family,” Halim said, alluding to customers on their morning dog walks, or families stopping by for a weekend brunch.
As Kelly’s Bakery rounds out its first few months of business at its Delafield St. location, Halim and Oakley continue to share their pastries, passions, and hearts with the community of Poughkeepsie. And the couple does not plan to stop anytime soon. “We always joke we’re going to open an ice cream shop and name it after our cat,” Halim said, “So, if you ever see a Pearl Creamery, that's probably us!”