Delia’s Baked Goods transforms former Czech School, sausage factory into cafe

CEDAR RAPIDS — A young pastry chef has stepped out on her own for the first time to turn the former Czech School into a cozy cafe for breakfast, lunch and baked specialties.

A graduate of Kirkwood Community College’s pastry chef program, Kaylee Pline came up through Cobble Hill before opening Delia’s Baked Goods in November.

Fresh out of her formative training experiences with a few tricks up her sleeve, owner Pline, 21, said it’s an opportunity she’s been aspiring to since she was a child.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve been down at the farmers markets in the summers and I couldn’t see myself going into another kitchen and working under someone,” Pline said. “My brain needed to learn more, and the only way I was going to learn more was by throwing myself out on a limb.”

The showcase

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At the forefront of the shop’s counter is its case with a seasonal rotation of sweets and staples ranging from decorated sugar cookies and coffee cake to cinnamon rolls and macarons (not to be confused with coconut macaroons).

A base of complex macaron flavors — Pline’s pride and joy — anchors the case with a few flavors. A green Shamrock shake flavor kept time with St. Patrick’s Day next to chai macarons. Moving into the summer, the case will soon transition into new items like fresh fruit tarts and citrus-oriented treats, like a “Dreamsicle bar.”

The macarons, influenced by her time at the high-end Cobble Hill, are something she perfected in her late teens and early 20s after trying throughout her childhood.

Talents like coffee cake — a recipe of her grandmother’s — and two varieties of cookies will always be on staff.

“In the Cedar Rapids area, I feel like every coffee shop around here has its own quirks. I just wanted to find a different groove,” said Pline, a Dubuque native. “I’ve always liked the rustic vibe from scratch. I tell people if it’s going to be a cinnamon roll, I want it to taste like Grandma’s cinnamon roll.”

A few book shelves, tables and a swing chair in the corner help curate that atmosphere.

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But the owner’s heart and soul, as she calls it, lies in her artisan bread. With sourdough, bagels, pita and brioche, she showcases her personal talent through a tailored menu of simple but wholesome sandwiches for breakfast or lunch. Soon, she hopes to offer a perfected rye bread.

“It’s very therapeutic to me, it always has been,” she said.

Her craft can be tasted through sourdough or bagel egg sandwiches customized with a variety of veggies and sauces, or through sandwiches like grilled cheese, hot ham and cheese, roast beef with roasted peppers and pepperjack cheese, or avocado and caprese toast.

A couple of quinoa bowls with protein and vegetables, capping the menu’s modest pricing at $10, remain on standby as another option.

To drink, the similarly focused beverage menu features several of the trending energy drink infusions in fruity flavors, fresh fruit smoothies, espresso-based coffee drinks and teas.

The location

Recalibrating a historic space renovated from its former days as the Czech School and, subsequently, a sausage factory, Delia’s Baked Goods brings new life to a spot that has been vacant for years.

The building was constructed in 1901 to educate a bustling population of Czech immigrants in what is today called the Czech Village and New Bohemia district.

In 1951, building repairs and waning maintenance attendance led to the school’s closure and the building’s sale to Andrew Pohlena, as Czech classes returned to public schools.

Pohlena preserved the school's original cornerstone when he and his partner, Bob Kapoun, remodeled it into a sausage factory. Pohlena retired and sold the business in 1970.

Since the 1980s, several companies operated from the building until the flood of 2008, when the building's lower level was damaged by floodwaters. Marshall Godwin briefly attempted to run the short-lived Czech School Deli out of the former Pohlena retail store in 2011.

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More than a place for good food, Pline hopes the bakery and cafe’s opening brings a new presence to the community.

“Yes, I’m hoping our food will be amazing, but I’m hoping to get out into the community and have an impact,” she said. “A cookie will always put a smile on anyone’s face.”

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.