You might not know it from its reputation for homemade cheesecakes, but Oak Barrel Café in Little Orleans, Maryland, has what some might consider an unconventional past for a c-store. “It [used to be] a biker bar,” said owner Dushant Sharma. “Essentially, it was a bar with a small convenience store.”

Sharma brought on Betty Forman as general manager a few years after he bought the store in 2011, and she catalyzed the transformation from bar to full-service c-store. “I had three kids and didn’t want them hanging out in a bar,” she said. “I’d rather them hang out in café with ice cream and a courtyard so they could play outside rather than having them see people getting drunk and into mischief.”

She began to talk to Sharma about turning the store into a more family-oriented business. In 2013, he got rid of the bar and began the slow and steady transition to a café. “We did not move quickly but as more and more customers expressed how happy they were with the changes we were making, we were encouraged to do more and more until it became the store it is today,” he said.

Forman also retooled the interior from a biker bar feel to a rustic design aesthetic. “The rustic atmosphere in the store is relaxing and fun, which helped us become more accepted by the community,” Sharma said.

A Food Rebirth

Foodservice was a major element of the store’s transformation from bar to café. “Betty suggested we add an onsite bakery and we’ve had huge success with that,” Sharma said. The store has become very well-known for made-from-scratch cheesecakes and other baked goods, such as rolls, pies, brownies and cakes. “We’ve been so successful, we currently have four bakers on staff and many people make a special trip for our bakery items,” he said.

While Oak Barrel Café started with baked goods, the store now serves other items such as burgers and chicken. Customers can sit at one of the 40 indoor seats to enjoy the food or grab a table outside when the weather is nice.

Coffee is of course a staple. Oak Barrel also serves organic and no-sugar-added fruit juices and sugar-free green tea in dispensers. “We didn’t want a soda fountain but instead went with all organic and natural drinks,” he said.

The store sought to differentiate itself by offering unique products unavailable elsewhere, such as moonshine. “We began carrying a variety of flavors from a renowned Tennessee distillery, unexpectedly becoming the top-selling moonshine retailer in the entire state of Maryland. Building on this success, we partnered with a local distillery to create our own branded Oak Barrel moonshine,” Sharma said. Today the store sells a full line of its own moonshine, including one variety, Fire Chief 43 Butterscotch Moonshine, that honors a local fire department chief.

A Community Transformation

To further strengthen ties with the community, the store organizes annual fundraising events in collaboration with the local fire department. For example, Oak Barrel Café dedicates a specific fuel dispenser to donate a portion of every gallon sold to the fire department. “This initiative runs for approximately three to four months each year, demonstrating our commitment to supporting the community that has supported us,” Sharma said.

He also lends a hand to new local business ventures. “When a local brewery opened, we held our staff Christmas party there for several years to help boost their sales—that helped them out a lot,” he said.

The store heavily depends on Facebook for online connections. “We get good results and interactions with our customers on Facebook, while TikTok and Instagram don’t give us as much,” he said.

Sharma credits being different and creative as the key to his success with Oak Barrel Café. “You have to make a stage for yourself to be different because we can’t compete on the same things,” he said. Instead, he recommends offering unique items as well as figuring out what kind of food will set you apart. “For us, it was more healthful options because we feel people are looking for something good and healthy at the same time,” he said.

While Sharma is in the process of planning a second location about 20 miles away, he hopes his store will continue to wow customers. “My favorite review comments are ‘I never expected this,’ and ‘this is a hidden gem.’ Our customers expect a typical convenience store and are taken aback by how modern and friendly our store is,” he said.