Mid-Life Career Change Leads to the Red Goose, Pancake Bacon Muffins

owners Raychel and John Wesley did not start out as restaurateurs. In fact, John was a carpenter and Raychel practiced law upstairs in the downtown building that now houses The Red Goose.

"John is a carpenter; I'm an attorney," she said. "Both of our markets shifted and we decided to do something different."

The Red Goose opened in February in downtown . The cafe is across the street from the . Originally, the husband-and-wife team intended for the shop to serve just baked goods.

"The Sandwich Shoppe closed within a few weeks of our buildout," Raychel said.

So, the couple made the decision to carry sandwiches, salads, muffins, cookies, cupcakes. They also carry soups in the colder months.

One of the most popular items on the menu is the pancake and bacon muffin.

"It took off," Raychel Wesley said. "It was one of those things that you didn't expect to take off."

Raychel Wesley finds herself in a unique position. She understands what the traffic from the courthouse needs - both at breakfast and at lunch. And it's the same at both meals - speed.

"People don't want to wait," she said. "Even if they wait, they don't want to wait for their lunch, they want to eat."

The Red Goose is one of only three or so restaurants downtown that offer breakfast. And, being across from the courthouse has made the shop a natural stop for those in town for the Peterson trial. She has had positive feedback on her coffee and credits the selection of it and quite a lot of other things in the cafe to God.

"The Lord really blessed us with putting the right people in our path," she said.

Raychel Wesley she finds herself quite at home in the kitchen.

"My mom raised me in the kitchen; I loved to bake when I was a kid," she said.

And, despite the love, she admits the lifestyle of running a restaurant is much different than that of being an attorney.

"If I put in the hours as an attorney that I put in here, I'd be retired by now," she said.

For his part, John Wesley enjoys his time at The Red Goose, but admits it's not what he imagined it would be.

"My favorite thing about being in here is greeting people," he said. "It's different from what I expected.

"I didn't consider what it all entailed before we opened."

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