Matt and Shelly Sehnert decided to return to the comfortable life of a small Nebraska community to raise their children. Matt gave up a promising career in corporate America to go home and run the family bakery and café. He and Shelley also had visions that a vacant building next to the bakery could provide seating space for the people who buy the rolls and pastry they produce daily. They also had a dream about fixing the place up to reflect the historic nature of the building. After months of work, the building was gutted of its lowered ceiling and floor coverings and some plaster. What’s left is the wood floors, exposed brick walls and hanging pendant lights that give many a historic building a unique niche flavor. The bakery and café also serves as the location for the popular “Live at the Bieroc” performance venue where traveling troubadours can share their talent as they cross the United States. Each show starts with social time and then dinner. The show is opened by a local artist who can sing, play the guitar or piano, or share their talent in some other way. This is followed by the headlining act performing 2 sets with dessert at intermission. “Live at the Bieroc” has attracted nationally recognized acts and draws people from as far away as Kearney and Lincoln. With assistance from the McCook Main Street program and Nebraska Main Street, the Sehnert’s have been continually improving the building and the events held therein. They even benefited from several visits by a retail and design professional from the National Main Street Center. Sehnert says his business and others up and down the street have benefited from the exposure to the Main Street program. “Main Street has really been the vehicle for a number of us to think outside the box and receive so many benefits for our businesses.”
