Baked with Love: A German couple’s sweet American dream

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

Gerhart and Melanie Wassink, owners of Bread Pete Bakery in Cape Coral, moved from Hamburg, Germany, to the United States with their two daughters a year and a half ago, seeking a new life, change and opportunity.

Gerhart Wassink said, "We were at a certain point where we wanted to change our life. Instead of moving from Hamburg to Munich, we made a bigger change, and we moved over here to the United States. Taking over this bakery was a great opportunity to start a new life here in the United States."

The Wassinks have found that the American dream comes with its own set of challenges. Some of the challenges include long working hours every day of the week since the bakery is open Monday through Friday.

Melanie Wassink explained the long hours, saying, "We are starting in the morning very early, around about 6. And we are closing at 2, but that's not the end of our working day."

More recently, tariffs have driven up the cost of key imported ingredients like flour.

Gerhart Wassink noted the impact of tariffs on their business, saying, "Certain things and certain ingredients became more expensive. But we focus on quality and try to maintain the consistency of, for our customers. So, tariffs are impacting us."

Despite these challenges, the Wassinks remain committed to their craft, continuing to import the majority of their ingredients from Europe to ensure authenticity and quality.

The bakery absorbs the increased costs from the tariffs, maintaining the same prices for customers. Gerhart Wassink shared the importance of customer satisfaction, saying, "It makes me really happy to see also happy customers. It's also fun to work with my employees. We have also a good customer working culture here. It's friendly. It's a family-style."

Customers we spoke with say that every time they walk through the bakery doors, they find smiling faces and delicious food.

For Melanie and Gerhart Wassink, this is just the beginning of their journey in Cape Coral — one built on hard work, tradition and a shared love for what they do.

DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.