South Fork Bakery will continue operating the Rogers Memorial Library’s Bookmark Café in Southampton after a successful inaugural year. The collaboration supports the mission of SFB’s Launch Workforce Development program, which provides and supports meaningful, paid employment to adults with developmental disabilities.
The café features South Fork Bakery’s signature baked goods, along with a variety of savory and sweet snacks, locally roasted hot craft coffee from Hampton Coffee, and assorted cold beverages. Patrons relax at indoor tables and lounge chairs, or on the outdoor patio during the warmer months.
To date, nine individual participants in SFB’s Launch Workforce Development program have been employed at the café, gaining job skills and experience, meaningful, stable paid work, increased independence, confidence, and integration into the community in a public-facing environment.
SFB Executive Director Bridget Fleming said, “We remain deeply grateful for the Library’s generosity, encouragement, and partnership in making this program possible. The Bookmark Café has seen consistent, modest growth in sales month-over-month. This steady progress reflects not only reliable patron support, but also the Library’s commitment to creating an inviting, mission-aligned space where the community feels welcome to gather and enjoy coffee and food, while supporting meaningful work. Much of this success is made possible by the Library’s generosity, its belief in inclusive opportunity, and the warmth with which Library staff and patrons have embraced our program participants. We are deeply thankful for this partnership and excited about what lies ahead.”
RML Executive Director Liz Burns said, “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with South Fork Bakery and to extend the Bookmark Café contract for another three years. The café has quickly become a special part of the Library, and it’s wonderful to see our patrons enjoying the space while also supporting such a meaningful program. It has been especially rewarding for the staff to watch the Launch participants grow in confidence, develop new skills, and become such an important part of the Library community. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished together and look forward to continuing this partnership.”
In recognition of the contribution the Rogers Memorial Library’s Bookmark Café has made to the success of South Fork Bakery’s Launch Workforce Development program this year, SFB will honor RML Trustee Sandra Klemuk at its fifth annual Cocktails with a Cause celebration at Tutto Il Giorno in Sag Harbor on Saturday, November 14, from 3 to 5 PM.
Trustee Klemuk, who serves as Board Secretary, has been a champion not only for the construction and development of the Bookmark Café, but also for support for South Fork Bakery in its role as operator of the café. Klemuk and her husband, Richard, own Braun Marketing, a direct mail marketing company in Southampton which services businesses, municipalities, and many nonprofit organizations throughout the East End. First elected to the RML Board in 2008, Sandra served two consecutive terms until 2016 and was re-elected in 2021. She has served the community on numerous committees and boards in various capacities, including the Southampton Yacht Club, the Southampton Cultural Center, the Southampton School Board, and the Vestry of St. John’s Episcopal Church.
For the fifth year in a row, the Tutto Il Giorno team will showcase their support of South Fork Bakery. Once again, the celebration will feature refreshing drinks and light bites in support of SFB’s mission to provide and support meaningful employment to adults with developmental disabilities. More information is available on the South Fork Bakery website.
SFB Board of Trustees Secretary Rose Dios said, “Sandra Klemuk came up with the idea to connect South Fork Bakery in the nascent plans for the Rogers Memorial Library café after reading a story in a local paper. Sandra is an unassuming, pragmatic community leader. We are so happy to honor her, as it was so fortunate for us that she understood the importance of our vision for Launch and how a collaboration with the RML café could work.”
Klemuk said, “It is extremely gratifying to see how this partnership between RML and SFB has benefitted both organizations and the community at large. Knowing that I have been a small part of making it happen gives me great joy.”
South Fork Bakery has also been awarded a $60,000 grant from the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation to support the workforce development program at the Bookmark Cafe. The Foundation has supported South Fork Bakery’s efforts since 2024 and provided important support during the inaugural year of the Bookmark Café collaboration.