After wandering far from home to learn her craft, Edmonson County native Brittany Vincent is sticking close to home to practice it.

Vincent, who studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., has been doing catering at the Tayvin Gardens event venue in Smiths Grove for the past six years while dreaming of opening a bakery and restaurant of her own.

She found a spot in her own backyard to make that dream come true.

On Saturday, Vincent will open her Linen Apron Bakery and Cafe in a century-old building at 114 E. Main St. in Smiths Grove that has been used in the past as a doctor’s office and more recently as a bridal shop.

“I fell in love with the space,” Vincent said Tuesday as she and her staff of three people worked to get the place ready for customers. “I’ve always wanted to open a bakery.”

Vincent certainly has the background for such a venture.

After graduating from the Culinary Institute in 2009, she worked at the Apple Pie Bakery in Hyde Park and later at the Blackberry Farm luxury resort in Walland, Tenn.

Vincent plans to bring that experience to what she sees as an ideal spot for the type of eatery she wants to run.

“Smiths Grove is such a cute town,” Vincent said. “It definitely needs something like this.”

The northern Warren County town is experiencing growth near Interstate 65, but the downtown area remains a mix of historic buildings with some antique shops and other retail establishments mixed in.

Vincent believes that Linen Apron, with its cinnamon rolls, brioche doughnuts and other baked goods for breakfast and hot and cold sandwiches and salads for lunch, will be a good fit.

She said the restaurant will offer pastrami reuben, chicken salad and Italian-style sandwiches along with salads that can be topped with grilled chicken or shrimp.

Vincent also plans to offer homemade caramel corn and granola along with churned-in-house ice cream.

Mostly, she hopes to offer plenty of baked goods, including whole cakes, pies and cheesecakes and fresh-baked bread.

“Smiths Grove really does need a place where people can come and get made-from-scratch baked goods,” Vincent said. “We want to have a good atmosphere where people feel at home.”

Vincent said Linen Apron will have seating for 16 people inside and will have outdoor seating in front of and behind the store.

She plans to buy produce from local farmers as well as from the Louisville-based What Chefs Want wholesaler that started as Creation Gardens.

Linen Apron will operate as a breakfast and lunch eatery and will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday.

– Follow business reporter Don Sergent on Twitter @BGDNbusiness or visit bgdailynews.com.