Locally rooted businesses — and the people willing to back them — help turn growth into community.
By Jennifer Wilson, Founder and Executive Pastry Chef, Wilson Patisserie
I have always believed a bakery should be more than a place to buy something sweet. At its best, it becomes part of a community’s rhythm: morning coffee, a croissant shared with a child, a lunch meeting, a weekend ritual, and the familiar face behind the counter who knows what you love.
That belief is what led my husband, Alex, and me to build Wilson Patisserie.
From Markets to a Permanent Home
Wilson Patisserie grew through farmers markets, pop-ups, custom orders, and years of listening to the people who returned week after week. We learned that customers were not only looking for beautiful pastries. They wanted a place that combined craftsmanship with warmth—a bakery that felt special without feeling exclusive.
Our permanent home is now taking shape in McCormick Village in Port Orchard. The approximately 2,800-square-foot space will bring together a scratch bakery, café, coffeehouse, light breakfast and lunch, weekend brunch, and a carefully selected beer, wine, and cocktail program.
I lead the pastry side of the business, while my husband Alex brings more than 25 years of experience in restaurants, hotels, catering, and private-chef work. Together, we are creating something neither of us could build alone: a French-inspired pâtisserie grounded in the character and hospitality of the Pacific Northwest.
Why McCormick, and Why Now
McCormick is growing quickly, but growth alone does not create community. That requires places where people can slow down, gather, and feel connected.
We saw an opportunity to become one of those places.
Our goal is not to imitate a bakery in Paris or transplant a Seattle concept into Port Orchard. It is to create a neighborhood institution that belongs to this community—one that serves an excellent baguette and a thoughtful lunch, welcomes families, remembers regulars, supports nearby businesses, and gives visitors another reason to explore this side of Puget Sound.
Kitsap has talented makers, entrepreneurs, growers, artists, and business owners. What it needs now is continued investment in the gathering places and locally rooted companies that make a growing region feel like home.
Building the Final Stretch
Opening a brick-and-mortar food business requires equal parts imagination, endurance, and capital. We have spent years developing our brand, refining our products, purchasing equipment, and navigating permitting and construction. Our landlord is making a substantial investment in the buildout, and we have invested deeply ourselves.
We are now raising the final $50,000 needed for essential furnishings, equipment, serviceware, opening inventory, and the remaining practical pieces required to open properly.
We are interested in meeting people who believe in locally rooted businesses and want to participate in Wilson Patisserie’s next chapter. For the right community-minded investor—or small group of investors—this is an opportunity to help complete a substantially funded project and support a business designed to serve Kitsap for years.
What We Hope to Create
I want Wilson Patisserie to become the place where neighbors meet, celebrations begin, and ordinary mornings feel a little more beautiful. I want young bakers to see that serious pastry work can thrive in Kitsap. I want our success to strengthen the local food culture and encourage other independent businesses to build here.
The future of Kitsap will not be shaped only by population growth or new construction. It will be shaped by the places people choose to return to—and by the local entrepreneurs and backers willing to create them.
We are proud to be building one of those places, and we welcome conversations with those who would like to help bring it to life.
