One word has been repeated over and over recently in McCook and Southwest Nebraska and even across the state: sad. 

It is not very often that a singular event can bring people to the same emotion but sadness is what many have felt with the closing of the last hometown bakery in McCook this week. 

Ember’s Bakery, formerly known as Sehnert’s for more than 60 years in McCook, came to an end with the announcement that the bakery was closing its doors for good. 

While businesses come and go and all should be mourned as their time comes to end, the closure of the bakery has really hit a nerve for a variety of reasons.

For starters, it was the only James Beard Award winning restaurant in Nebraska, recognized as an American Classic in 2019. For those who don’t know what a James Beard Award is, it is likened to the Academy Awards of the food industry. The bakery was highlighted as a “locally and independently owned restaurant with timeless appeal, beloved in its region for food that reflects the character and cultural traditions of its community.” 

No longer can McCook be declared as the home of a James Beard restaurant, which attracted visitors from across the country. Instead, we are now the home of the former James Beard award-winning restaurant, which still isn’t too bad. 

The bakery was also named the “Nicest Place in Nebraska” by Reader’s Digest in the summer of 2019 and was in the running for “Nicest Place in America.” That recognition prompted a month-long series of stories about people doing nice things not only at the bakery but also the community.

But the feeling of sadness stems from what is perhaps the biggest loss: a place of community. 

Let’s be honest. No one “needs” a donut. Our waistbands tell the story of one too many peanut butter rolls or chocolate sundaes from the donut case. 

But that donut and cup of coffee gave you a reason to sit around with friends after attending daily Mass, to join a table of high school classmates every week to reminisce or to figure out the world’s problem with your coffee club. 

So while the donuts may have gotten people in the door, the bakery’s truest gift was as the gathering place for so many. 

Grandparents took their grandchildren in for a bag of donut holes on Saturday morning as they caught up on their week. Students wandered down Norris Avenue after school to hang out and grab a smoothie and attempt to do their homework. Husbands and wives shared a weekly lunch as part of their standing date, perhaps their only “alone” time all week. And families gathered around a table to enjoy more sugar than they likely had all week with a tray of donuts but it was worth it for the time they shared and the memories they made. 

Nearly everyone has a story from the bakery from swaying along at a concert to sitting on Santa's lap, raising money during the YMCA fund-drive or coaches patiently waiting their turn at the microphone.

And some of the stories can’t be shared in detail in this column that involve oven rides and dart guns but let’s just say that I wanted to create a sign that said “Zero days since last dart gun injury” after a St. Patrick teacher-appreciation dinner. 

Ultimately, the bakery was a melting pot of society. Lawyers would walk down from the courthouse after arguing a case. Groups of opposing political views gathered despite their differences. And students enjoyed taking over tables for a few games of chess on a Friday afternoon. 

And the welcoming of everyone wasn’t just in front of the donut case but extended to the back where a variety of employees enjoyed working at the bakery. While the bakery received many accolades over the years, perhaps the most important was being recognized three times with an employee inclusion award.

With the closing of the bakery, we have lost one of those things that makes a community a community - a place to gather with others. In today’s world, these are called “third spaces.” 

The first two places are the home and work/school. The third space is where we connect with others or where we feel welcomed and comfortable. Third spaces might be the fitness club, the library, or the park. It is a church, a bar or even a hair salon. Third spaces are why coffee shops are so popular, because people are not only welcomed but encouraged to visit and hang out together.

There are still many third spaces in our community, from all of our local restaurants and bars, to Norris Alley, the High Plains Museum, pickleball courts and more. Essentially it is any place that encourages people to gather and to interact and to foster relationships. 

With the closing of the bakery, we have lost a little bit of that community and we are all a little bit sad - or for some who bought a donut daily, (looking at you Dan, Bill and Gary) maybe a lot sad.

We don’t know what the future holds and hopefully, the doors along Norris Avenue will open again to welcome people inside. It may or may not be to buy a donut, but we all know it wasn’t just about the donuts. It is about creating a space that welcomes and encourages those social connections between families, friends and neighbors, which ultimately makes a place a better place to call home.