Lisa DeLong was working as executive pastry chef at the Gandy Dancer in Ann Arbor when a mutual friend of Glee and Steve Havens approached her about running Glee Cake & Pastry after Glee’s battle with cancer made it too difficult for her to continue working. “It was important to me to help,” says DeLong, who started working at the shop in February. Glee, who died in July at age fifty-two, opened the business in 2011 and built a loyal following for her classic European- style cakes, pastries, and desserts.
DeLong—whose husband, Andrew, is handling bookkeeping for the business— also had worked as a pastry chef at Terry B’s in Dexter. She says she’s received cake orders for events well into next year and will continue to run the business as long as Steve wants them to.
“My wish is for the bakery to continue,” says Steve. The DeLongs are making that possible. “We take a lot of pride in Glee’s shop and her products,” Lisa says. “It is a beautiful legacy.”
Glee Cake & Pastry, 117 S. Main. 475– 3000. Tues.–Thurs. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Fri. –Sat. 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun. noon–5 p.m. Closed Mon. gleecakeandpastry.com
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At the end of May, Ellie’s Chocolate Café in the Main Street Shoppes at the Chelsea Clocktower Complex closed after a two-year run. In June it reverted to its original name, Gourmet Chocolate Café, under its old owners Tom and Tina Diab. The Diabs, who’d been “busy raising kids” the past couple years, offer a similar menu to Ellie’s: burgers, sandwiches, salads, and soups—with a large selection of chocolates and hand-dipped ice cream in the adjoining storefront.
Gourmet Chocolate Café, 312 N. Main St. (Chelsea Clocktower Complex). 475– 1457. Mon.–Sat. 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Closed Sun. gccchelsea.webs.com
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The Middle Bead’s owner, Marc Rafferty, who’s sold her jewelry-making supplies in her upstairs Middle Street location for three years, is planning on closing the shop September 21 and taking her business back to her home and online. “We do have [retail] shoppers, but they’re not buying as much,” she says. “Everybody’s being careful these days. Hobbies are a second priority to feeding ourselves.”
The Middle Bead, 108 E. Middle. 274–4725. Tues.–Sat. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Closed Sun. & Mon. and after Sept. 21. middlebead.com
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The Other Women consignment shop on Main Street, above Smokehouse 52 BBQ, closed at the end of July. Owners Laura Rivard and Kim Watkins had opened the business about a year ago. “Chelsea is a wonderful community,” says Watkins, but they’ve both “moved on to better opportunities.”
