"We weren't going to come to Butler unless we were on Main Street. We didn't want to be tucked back in on a side street where people couldn't see us. We want foot traffic. That's something we didn't have up in Petrolia."
Matt McConnell told the Butler Eagle that he and his wife, Jenn, wouldn't have moved The Sweet Gremlin to Butler without a Main Street address. They got one. The bakery is now at 200 N. Main St., in the storefront that used to be the Natili North Pizza Shoppe. Customers were already buying baked goods there on Wednesday, Oct. 28, ahead of the grand opening with the Butler County Chamber of Commerce that the shop had planned for Halloween morning.
That quote also explains the rest of the shop. The McConnells chose the address so people would see them. They laid out the room so customers can watch the work. The hours start early enough to catch people on the way to work. All of it is aimed at people walking down North Main.
Five months from a market stall to a Main Street door
The move came together over one summer, and the Butler City Farmers' Market was part of it from the start.
- Saturday, May 23. The farmers market opened its 2026 season with upgraded facilities. The Butler Eagle reported that the McConnells planned to sell there most Saturdays while their own shop was closed. "We'll be mainstays here," Matt McConnell said.
- May 25. The Petrolia shop had its last day after nearly five years in business.
- Saturday, June 6. The couple announced on Facebook that The Sweet Gremlin was moving to 200-202 N. Main St.
- July. Work on the new space began.
- Wednesday, Oct. 28. Customers were at the new shop, and baked goods were on sale.
- Saturday, Oct. 31. The shop had planned its grand opening and Chamber ribbon-cutting for 10 a.m. that day.
According to the Eagle's October story, the bakery served hundreds of customers at the farmers market. After that, Mayor Bob Dandoy and Butler County Chamber of Commerce President Jordan Grady encouraged the owners to bring the business to downtown Butler full time. Dandoy also coordinates the farmers market. In June, the couple's announcement thanked a partnership with Experience Butler County. "This is more than just a new address," they wrote. "It's an opportunity for us to create a unique dessert experience for downtown."
The market gave Butler shoppers a chance to buy from the bakery every Saturday morning before it had a building in the city. It also showed the owners how much business downtown could bring.
Why the address mattered more than the size
Two things pushed the bakery out of Petrolia. The building it rented there was going to be sold, and the business had outgrown its 550-square-foot space.
Either problem could have been solved with a bigger room almost anywhere. The Eagle reported that the hard part was finding a location, and the McConnells had already ruled out anything off Main Street. A shop that relies on people walking by needs more than space. It needs a spot where people already walk.
The former Natili North Pizza Shoppe gave them that. It sits on North Main, and the new shop has two rooms, a big step up from the single 550-square-foot room in Petrolia.
A counter built for an audience
Once they had foot traffic, the McConnells designed the inside so customers could see the baking and decorating up close. Jenn McConnell described the layout to the Butler Eagle:
"So when you walk in, you're seeing your ice cream be made or your drink be made, and then the checkout counter behind it is where I'm decorating cookies or cakes so people can watch me make someone's order."
The two new menu items are both made in front of the customer:
- Dirty sodas, sealed in a can. "We know it's super popular right now, and we wanted to jump on that train but also be unique," Jenn McConnell said. "So, we offer it as a custom can of soda. We actually seal your can for you right in front of you."
- Rolled ice cream with house flavors. Matt McConnell said they wanted to serve ice cream in a way Butler didn't have yet. "Some places do the rolled ice cream, but they're franchises. We wanted to create our own flavors and toppings."
- The original lineup. Cupcakes, cheesecakes, brownies and cookies made the move from Petrolia.
The owners told the Eagle they want a stop at the shop to feel like a "dessert experience." That's easier to deliver when someone passing by can see an order being made through the front of the shop.
A storefront with Natili history
The building already has a long history with North Main Street diners. In a 2014 Butler Eagle profile, the Natili North restaurant was described as a separate business from the pizza shoppe. Vince and Jean Tavolario opened the full-service restaurant in 1973. Years later, they opened the Natili North Pizza Shoppe next door. The bakery is in that pizza shoppe space.
The new owners kept that history visible. Both rooms have The Sweet Gremlin's artwork and baking decor, including vintage cookie jars. They also display historical photographs of the building and a short history of the storefront written by local historian Bill May. Customers waiting for a sealed soda can read about the building they're standing in.
Hours that cover both ends of the day
A shop that wants foot traffic has to be open when people are out walking. The Eagle reported these hours:
- Monday through Friday: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Saturday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Sunday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A 6 a.m. weekday opening puts a bakery case on North Main before most workdays begin, and the 7 p.m. close leaves time for an after-dinner stop. The Saturday opening at 7 a.m. is earlier than the farmers market's 8:30 a.m. start, which ran every Saturday through October this season. Shop hours often change in the first weeks after an opening, so check the bakery's own channels before planning a trip around them.
The second room will mostly be seating, but the owners plan to use it for other things too. Jenn McConnell said it may sometimes host classes, birthday parties and other events. "We're thinking maybe once a month we'll hold either a cookie decorating class, cake decorating or pierogi making," she said. A cookie or pierogi class would take the idea of watching orders being made one step further, with customers doing the work themselves.
Ask a Main Street business why it picked its location and you'll usually learn something about how the block works. If you're thinking about a home within walking distance of shops like The Sweet Gremlin, or about selling one, Jennie Spohn is glad to talk through which downtown Butler streets fit your daily routine. Let's Connect.
