New State College resident Seyhan Başkaya is a long way away from her roots in Istanbul, Turkey.

Başkaya has cooked all over the world, but her most recent endeavor has landed her right here in State College. New pastry shop and cafe, Caramel Afternoon, is her life’s dream come to fruition. 

The shop, located at 214 E. Calder Way, combines her years of experience baking across Europe into one location. She hopes to share her story and her passion for culinary art with the State College community.

Originally a business banker in Turkey, Başkaya changed her whole life’s trajectory when she decided to leave the field and go to culinary school.

“I had my whole career set, but I was in my early thirties, maybe 30 or 31, and I was like ‘I need something. I need something to change,'” Başkaya said.

After eight years in the field and a master’s degree in financial market management, she made the bold decision to leave everything she knew for her passion.

She moved to England to improve her English and began hanging out with international students.

“I was around French, Spanish, and Italian students all cooking together, and it was fun. It just inspired me,” Başkaya said. “I started to think I could maybe be creative with food and, just maybe, I could start my own business one day.”

The change was especially drastic because Başkaya didn’t bake or cook as a hobby growing up. She grew up in a big family that often gathered, cooked, and ate together, but she never considered herself to have a knack for it.

“After I went to culinary school and learned some techniques and saw the chemistry behind it, it was really interesting for me and I love it,” Başkaya said.

She began culinary school in Turkey, which eventually led to her cooking all over Europe. Her impressive resume shows years of work in premier kitchens in Turkey and Spain, along with her more recent work in the United States.

Başkaya marked Spain as a particularly integral part of her learning process.

“Eating in Spain, every single corner you have a small pastry shop. The food is fresh and it’s such a culinary experience,” Başkaya said. “I think I learned a lot, and I think it changed my vision by being more creative and more advanced.”

With all this international experience, it is hard to believe State College ended up on her radar.

She first came to Happy Valley as an intern four years ago as a chef for Toftrees, her host company. Başkaya explained that companies abroad help students and professionals in the culinary and hospitality industry find work in America. After a brief time here, she moved to Buffalo to continue her training.

“I was thinking about starting my own place and I just thought, ‘let’s do this,'” Başkaya said. “I don’t want to just work for people or companies. If I grow, if I get better, maybe I could make my own. That was the idea.”

She found the space downtown with help from the building owners, who, coincidentally, were trying to get a new food spot in there. The whole situation was destiny.

“It’s very fun for me. It was really the goal. I got to take over everything. I just created my own pastries and my own full menu and opened up,” Başkaya said.

Since her soft opening back in June, she has expanded her menu to include breakfast and lunch. She also hopes to keep expanding into catering and more menu options as time allows; after all, it is just her running the show right now.

Başkaya admitted that the difference between helping other people run their business back in Turkey and running her own is extreme.

“It’s definitely harder. When you work for someone, you have a schedule, and you just go to your job. But as a business owner, I work alone. I’m not just baking. I’m also responsible for marketing. I’m making food but also trying to bring people here to try my food,” Başkaya explained.

“There are too many things I have to take care of,” she laughed.

Her experience in State College has been extremely pleasant so far. She admitted that she wasn’t sure what to do in such a small town at first. Growing up in Istanbul, one of the largest cities in Europe, the quiet streets of State College were unusual.

She decided, though, that maybe the quiet was what she needed; she was getting older after all.

After traveling for the past decade with no real place to settle down, she hopes that Caramel Afternoon will allow her to center her focus and her life here in town.

“Sometimes, as a business owner, it’s hard to deal with people, but the people of State College definitely make that easier,” Başkaya said.

Her extensive menu offers unique items that you won’t find in many places in central Pennsylvania. She combines influences from Hungary, Russia, Turkey, and Budapest to offer customers something different from what they’re used to.

“I just think that, being a pastry chef, the best part is the creative part. It’s naturally all fruits and everything is so good that just trying different flavors together is really exciting for me,” Başkaya said.

As for her big hope for Caramel Afternoon, she just wants it to be a gathering place for people. The large space is equipped with free wifi, outlets, seating, and board games to encourage students and community members to make themselves at home.

“I just want people to feel good and have fun,” Başkaya said.

To learn more about Başkaya and Caramel Afternoon, you can visit the Instagram here or, if you’re in the mood for a pastry, visit it for yourself downtown.