By Bob Tagert
After doing this publication for over 36 years, one of the fun things we get to do is to write about the personalities we have encountered along the way. This is one of the ways we get to meet and know about the individuals who make up our community. With Noelie Rickey, that is no exception. We actually met Noelie and her business partner Markos Panas at an Old Town Business Association mixer. They were both delightful and easy to talk to. Markos has a story of his own but we will save that for a later date. He and his father John founded Bread & Water Company in the Belle View Shopping Center where he eventually hired Noelie…but that is putting the cart before the horse.
Noelie was born in Seattle, Washington in the late1960’s, in the heart of the Peace, Love, Sex, Waterbeds era. “That was a formidable time in my life”, she tells me. “When I was three years old my mom and dad divorced and my mom moved us into a Commune. It was a full-blown commune – one big house full of hippies,” she said with a smile. “My mom didn’t have a car so we hitch hiked everywhere. That was what you kind of did in the early 60’s into the 70’s,” as she giggled.
Noelie remembers how living in a commune took constant negotiations. It is clear that she learned that skill well. “I remember being in conversations with adults as a kid. You had to think for yourself. We would have negotiations for the current night’s dinner, and then tomorrow night’s dinner. You know, that has always stuck with me as I got older,” she says. “A lot of our conversations were centered on getting along, and how do you do that? Communicate.” “I have many conversations like that today with our staff and I tend to prioritize others needs over my own and as a business owner, you have to learn to do that.” From what I know of Noelie and her approach to her businesses, I think the Commune lessons were well learned.
As Noelie moved into the teen years her focus changed. “I was a very good little kid,” she says, “but a real terror in my teens…very independent and able to manage my own life at that point.” Today at 56 years old, it is clear that Noelie has had the life experiences to enable her to charge head long into the business world…something she was destined for.
After living on her own, Noelie would take on any job she could to make some money. The survival instinct was pretty strong. She developed a talent for calligraphy and was commissioned for some murals which led to other work.
She told me when she turned 17 she got a “real job” – regular hours and all. It was in a one woman owned sandwich shop called “Honey Bee Hams” in Belleview, Washington near the Microsoft Headquarters. Obviously, they sold hams during the holidays but it was making the sandwiches, soups and cookies from scratch where Noelie excelled. “Serving only sandwiches, soup and cookies, this one woman owned sandwich shop was making millions of dollars a year. This was so empowering to me…I loved it! I worked six days a week and got paid for five, minimum wage.”
After seven years at the sandwich shop Noelie got involved in running a Spa Health Center which showed her the other side of business. The owner jumped ship and disappeared in the night. Noelie sucked it up and took the club over and made it a success.
In 2009 Noelie made her way to Alexandria. By this time she had tacked on Veterinary Technician to her resume. She took a job at Alexandria Pet Care and began walking dogs. While she loved working with the canines, she also realized just how much she loved cooking and making pastries and desserts. Remembering back to her days at the Honey Bee, she knew that she could be doing what she loved and knew that money could be made.
She enrolled in the L’Academie de Cuisine to learn how to pour her talents into becoming a pastry chef. She worked at a few of the better restaurants in the DMV including Brabo here in Old Town.
About this time Markos was thinking about a new bakery concept and advertised for a Pastry Chef. Noelie answered the ad. Marco’s father, John, called Noelie and said “You are just what we need!” Marcos and Noelie negotiated and the Bread & Water Company opened in the Belle View Shopping Center with her at the helm in the kitchen. This venture led to them taking over the space where the iconic Atlantis Restaurant was in Bradlee Shopping Center and opening the BeeLiner Diner in 2022. Noelie is the force behind the bread and pastries at both locations. Watch for an upcoming Dining Out column in a future issue!
I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that her aforementioned love for dogs has not waned since her days of walking them. She is the proprietor of The Dog Park pet store in the 700 block of King Street in Old Town. It is always nice to see new businesses thrive in Alexandria and Noelie Rickey has surely paid her dues and wears her success very well.