by Kevin Dicciani

Although The Night Kitchen Bakery & Café, 7725 Germantown Avenue, just celebrated its 15th Anniversary on July 24, co-owner Amy Edelman is already planning ahead for the next 15 years and beyond.

Loyal customers, friends and family attended the celebration at the Night Kitchen this past Friday night, where they were treated to complimentary food, desserts, drinks, and live music by David Cope, a native of Chestnut Hill.

For Edelman and her husband and co-owner of the Night Kitchen, John Millard, the night could not have been more of a success.

“We were very excited to have so many friends, former employees and loyal customers come to our 15th anniversary party,” Edelman said. “About 100 people visited us over the two-and-a-half hours and stopped by to congratulate us, including City Councilwoman Cindy Bass. It was pretty tremendous to have all these people show their support of the Night Kitchen, say they love the Night Kitchen. It was very rewarding.”

The party was a way of expressing their gratitude to a community that has supported them since the very beginning.

“When we bought the bakery 15 years ago, it was such a tiny shop,” Edelman said. “Five years ago we expanded to add the café, which was a huge step for us. We weren't sure how well received we'd be by the community, but it's been an enormous success. ”

Part of that success is due, according to Edelman, to the versatility of the Night Kitchen. For some it functions as a coffee shop, others a lunch spot, and for a few a place to hold meetings and conduct interviews. No matter what it's used for, Edelman said, “it's a really great meeting place.”

Success does come with some challenges, though, Edelman said, such as customer demand. She said since the renovation and creation of the café, there has been an ever-growing need for space and seating.

“Our success has brought a level of demand that we cannot always meet,” Edelman said. “We often turn people away in the café during the busy months and busy days of the week for lack of seating. Our goal is to create even more space for our customers.”

To help address that issue, Edelman and Millard have launched a Kickstarter campaign with the hopes of raising money to increase space and add additional seating. The goal is to raise $50,000. People can donate as little as $15, or as much as $2,500.

There are perks to donating money, too. If you happen to pledge $15, you'll receive a recipe for the Night Kitchen's creamy chocolate pudding. If it's $100 or more, you'll get a box packed with 12 of their “Best of Philly” fudge brownies, a bumper sticker, and a recipe. And lastly, if you pledge $2,500, the Night Kitchen will throw you your own private party, along with 10 guests, in the back of the bakery on a Sunday afternoon, where you'll be served a light lunch, dessert and beverages. Those are just a few of the many rewards being given out to those who lend their support.

The project, like the business the Night Kitchen does on a daily basis, is entirely for the community and the customers, Edelman said. The relationship with her customers, whether they're first-timers or regulars, is a special one, and Edelman plans on continuing it far into the future.

“My husband and I feel very lucky and fortunate to have a business for 15 years and to be in the place we are, to be in this town,” Edelman said. “Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy are our biggest supporters, our biggest fan base. They're the reason why we're planning for the next 15 plus years.”

To donate to the Night Kitchen's Kickstarter campaign, please visit www.kickstarter.com/projects/1207862915/help-fund-night-kitchen-bakerys-renovation.