Amy Felker

Amy Felker, the owner of Notting Hill Coffee Roastery and Lewes Bake Shoppe, was one of the first merchants in the area when she opened for business in 1990.

"You used to be able to lie in the street in the middle of January and not get hit by a car," said Felker, a native New Yorker who is every bit as high-energy as her shop's caffeinated beverages.

Felker's first neighbors included a hardware store and an old five-and-dime.Now she's surrounded by boutiques, antiques galleries, restaurants and art stores in a district she calls "the gold mine of Delaware."

The Lewes merchants see a lot of return tourists who appreciate the town's unique character, Felker said.

"It's Mayberry," she said.

Amy Felker, owner of Notting Hill Coffee Roastery and the Lewes Bake Shoppe, prepares sweets Thursday.She leaves the back door of the bakery open for her customers.

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Amy Felker took advantage of a breather in her Lewes Bake Shoppe and followed the aroma of baking bread to the oven.

Suddenly, the back door opened, and a customer walked into the tiny kitchen.

"Good morning, just come serve yourself," Felker said, barely looking up despite the atypical entrance.
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A few business owners, such as Felker, also have used the simpler strategy of leaving the back door open.Near the Bake Shoppe, another business, Kids' Ketch, displays a flag in the back of the building telling potential shoppers it's open.

"You do what you have to do," Felker said.