Don Gaile, who moved with his family from New York City to Freeport last April for a change of lifestyle, has started a baking company, with plans to have his products in local stores soon.

Gaile, 49, is chief baking officer for SPu?N (pronounced “spoon”). Gaile said last week he was just starting to make contact with some local stores. The business is located at his home.

“Customers will never have to come to my house,” he said. “I will always deliver.”

Gaile grew up in South Florida, attended Boston University and landed in New York City following graduation. He and his partner, Stephen Lenz, 44, have been together for more than 15 years, and in 2013 they adopted a son, who is now 13.

“We decided to make the big move from New York City in April 2015 to a place with real community where our son could play outside, climb a tree and we could enjoy the outdoors and nature,” Gaile said. “We really have the best of both worlds living in Freeport. We’re close to amenities, shops and restaurants, yet our neighborhood is remote and quiet.”

Gaile, who says his love of sweets all started with his grandmother when he was a child, answered questions about his bakery for the Tri-Town Weekly.

Q: How did you come up with the name “Spu?N,” and “spuntacular.com?”

A: I wanted something synonymous with desserts and something that was fun – part of what I deliver. I am trying to build a real sustainable brand. So while “spoon” was a little too ordinary, “Spu?N” was more interesting. The “u” with the umlaut will serve as a logo of sorts – plus it looks like a happy face. The website, spuntacular.com, is thanks to my son, who thought my cookies I made one night were spectacular. He combined the company name with it and bam! It was a real epiphany and made us all smile. He gets all the credit.

Q: What baked goods are you offering? Anything else, other than baked goods?

A: SPu?N is a made-to-order bakery. We offer a seasonal menu and will take full advantage of what Maine has to offer. Local farms are within arm’s reach so we’re very lucky in that way. We make cakes, pies, cupcakes, tarts, bars, squares and other delicious treats like homemade granola, French cane?le?s, breakfast items and chocolate bark. We are also developing our handmade vanilla extract, a signature cranberry chutney and a line of dog biscuits.

Q: Tell us about your previous career pursuits, and how you settled on baking.

A: My careers have varied from financial services operations manager to human resources executive to video and broadcast professional and executive producer. I spent the last 25 years living and working in New York City. I’ve been lucky enough in my various careers to not only reinvent myself, but truly follow my passions. Cooking and especially baking have always been something I loved. I really have to thank my team at my last job in New York City. I experimented on them for about two years bringing in all sorts of baked goods – and that was baking everything in a hot small New York City kitchen. I wanted to see if I was any good but also if it was something that I really enjoyed doing. They were the ones to really convince me to pursue baking as my next career. It’s certainly an art as much as it is a science. It involves a certain level of creativity, but also precision and attention to detail. It’s the combination that makes it exciting.

Q: How much time will you spend in the kitchen?

A: Right now I am the sole baker and recipe creator. I’ve honed a short list of the thousands of recipes I have been testing, tweaking, changing and experimenting with. It has been so hard to choose what to offer. I’m hoping to have the flexibility to offer a set of staples which I’ll have all the time but be able to change the menu frequently and offer surprises. This will certainly keep it interesting and bring people back to see what’s new. As I expand to attend various events and markets I’ll certainly need to bring on more people to assist. That will be a good problem to have.

Q: Where do you hope to offer your products?

A: As a made-to-order bakery we plan on working with individuals and companies who are planning parties, events or celebrations. Our other focus is working with local businesses who want to feature our baked goods in their store. We are open to working with any type of business where food makes sense. Part of what makes Freeport and the area so wonderful are the people I meet every day. We are new Mainers as of April 2015. As I made my way around getting to know the area, business owners have been so friendly to strike up a conversation. I had been chatting with store owners even before I had a business card or website about my plans and they seem very interested to work with me in some capacity. I get a real sense of community and I’m excited about the prospects. It will be a real win-win. I’ll sell my wares and it will bring more business into their stores.

Q: Where and when do you hope to open a retail space?

A: SPu?N is something we are building from the ground up. We want to make slow and steady progress in order to grow and prosper. We are starting small and will work to build a great reputation and local following here in Freeport and surrounding towns. Our plan is to have some goods in local stores and also attend upcoming events, fairs and farmers markets. From there we will look at opening our first retail space in Freeport. These days it is not necessary to have a brick-and-mortar store right away to be an integral part of the community. I see a real need, especially in Freeport, for what I do. I think not having a retail store won’t stop me from being able to fulfill the needs of the community.

Q: What are your impressions of Freeport?

A: It’s a real mix of tourists and locals that make Freeport an exciting town to live in. On the one hand you’ve got many people dedicated to making Freeport a destination and keeping it a vibrant place to eat and shop. On the other hand, you’ve got all the people who live and work here year round that want to continue to foster a strong sense of community and make it the best place to live. We have been thrilled with the care, kindness and respect we’ve received everywhere we’ve gone. We are not used to so many genuinely friendly people – from the school to the gardening center to the vegetable stands. It’s quite a change of pace and we are thoroughly embracing it.

Don Gaile makes “monster cookies” in his Freeport custom bakery, which he calls “SPüN.”

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