Maltby Cafe and its dinner plate-sized cinnamon rolls to get new home in planned Maltby Village

The Maltby Cafe, the beloved roadside restaurant famous for its plate-sized cinnamon rolls, is getting a new home as part of a development that aims to keep the local landmark serving customers for another century.

Westcott Homes announced plans this week for Maltby Village, a community gathering place that will rise on the cafe’s current site. The project, developed with GGLO Architects and the cafe’s owners, will include a new standalone building for the restaurant, roughly 10,000 square feet of additional retail space, outdoor patios, and pedestrian-friendly gathering areas.

Since opening in 1988, the Maltby Cafe has drawn generations of families from across Puget Sound, building a reputation that extends well beyond its towering cinnamon rolls. The restaurant has become a fixture in the small Snohomish County community, the kind of place where regulars are known by name.

Westcott Homes said it is working closely with the cafe’s owners — mother-and-daughter team Tana Baumler and Keesha Laws — to make sure the restaurant’s character survives the transition.

“Our goal is not simply to build a new building,” Kerek Edwards of Westcott Homes said. “We want to create a home for Maltby Cafe that will allow it to thrive for the next 100 years. We understand how important this place is to the community, and we are committed to preserving what people love while creating a space that can serve future generations.”

Design inspired by area’s history

The design, led by GGLO Architects, draws on Maltby’s rural roots while adding modern amenities meant to encourage people to linger and connect. Plans call for architectural touches inspired by the area’s history, blended with outdoor spaces and walkable design.

Beyond the cafe, the development is expected to accommodate locally focused businesses and services for residents and visitors alike.

“Maltby has a unique identity and sense of place,” Meaghan McDonald of GGLO Architects said. “Our goal is to celebrate that character and create a destination that feels authentically connected to the community’s past, present, and future.”

Westcott Homes expects construction to begin next year, with more design details to follow as planning continues. The team said it remains focused on transparency and community input throughout the process.

For now, the cinnamon rolls keep coming. Residents looking for updates can follow Westcott Homes and the Maltby Cafe on social media.

Manda Factor is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. Follow Manda on X and email her here. 

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