Café Babette, the Garfield Park bakery known for its visually extravagant confections and long weekend morning lines, will likely draw some even larger crowds over the next two weeks as it plans to close April 25.
Owners Ryan and Cheyenne Norris, who opened Café Babette at 2627 Shelby St. just south of Garfield Park in January 2024, announced in a series of April 12 Instagram stories that they plan to move to Spain with their young children due to the United States’ current political climate and high cost of living. The duo pointed to cheaper private health insurance and college tuition as well as saving money on car payments by living in a more walkable area.
According to their Instagram story, the Norrises first began thinking of leaving the country after the election of President Donald Trump in November 2024, less than a year after Café Babette opened. The café owners have publicly decried U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and in their April 12 social media posts, the Norrises noted the frequency of mass shootings in the United States.
Following the success of the bakery, which the Norrises said was on track to make $1 million in gross sales by the end of 2026, the couple’s dreams of emigrating became more concrete.
“When we looked at what life could be like elsewhere, it became clear that we don’t have to live that way forever,” the post read.
Both Ryan and Cheyenne have spent considerable time out of the United States, living in England and other parts of Europe for multiple years after they graduated from Indiana University Bloomington. Ryan primarily studied writing and poetry, while Cheyenne has credited her background in fine arts for her ability to produce ornate, aesthetically pleasing desserts.
During their time abroad the Norrises picked up various service jobs before moving back to Indiana to start their family. But they soon re-entered the famously labor-intensive and time-consuming industry with Café Babette, often devoting 50-80 hours per week to the bakery.
“Leaving this bakery, especially now, feels surreal,” one post read. “We built it from nothing and now we’re walking away at a moment of real success. But we’re choosing our life over continuing to scale something bigger.”
The Norisses did not say exactly what they intend to do in the next chapter of their career, though they noted that they are open to selling their business. If they are unable to do so quickly, the restaurateurs intend to release their recipes on Substack. The bakery owners did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
Despite their qualms with their home country, the Norisses expressed great appreciation for Indianapolis and their customers over the last two years.
“To every single person who showed up, supported us, and became part of this little community, thank you,” the post read. “After years in the service industry, we can honestly say we have never experienced a customer base as kind, supportive and genuinely wonderful as all of you.”
Contact dining reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can follow him on Instagram @BradleyHohulin and stay up to date with Indy dining news by signing up for the Indylicious newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Popular Garfield Park bakery to close as owners plan to depart U.S.
Reporting by Bradley Hohulin, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
