In March of 2021, Patches’ Pastries sprung up as an independent bakery operating out of Arcata’s Northtown Coffee. A year later, the trans-owned business is celebrating the opening of its own eatery at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds, where 23-year-old owner and sole employee Patch Fraga is serving
click to flip through (2) Photo by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill The Egghead PB&J, pork belly, egg and onion jam on a biscuit. The canopies over the patio at Northtown Coffee flutter above a half dozen people having a late Monday breakfast. Sunshine slants onto picnic tables where diners in beanies and sunglasses hunker over to-go cups, blueberry crumble bars and biscuit and egg sandwiches wrapped in checkered paper. Inside, a red and yellow menu board hangs emblazoned with the Egghead menu a handful of grab-and-go sandwiches with eggs, pork belly, greens, some with maple butter and its logo, a cracked egg with glasses, drooling a little yolk. Beside the pair of glass cake stands packed with coffee cake and the covered tray of cookies is a stack of cards for Patches Pastries. But this is still Northtown Coffee, right?