The Cottage continues to grow thanks to market presence, community support.

Content originally published by John Kirkpatrick in The Owensboro Times, July 2025. Sponsored by Independence Bank. 

Nearly four years after launching with just mini muffins and coffee, The Cottage Farm Stand & Baking Co. has blossomed into a go-to destination for fresh food, housemade pies, event catering, and some of Owensboro’s most talked-about burgers — all thanks to owner Marlene Knight’s commitment to evolving with her customers.

“This is a good time of year for us, because the market is such a pivotal part of our business,” Knight said. “It fits our model to buy, grow, and use local. That’s really the foundation of what we do.”

Knight said The Cottage is not a typical drive-by restaurant and relies on its visibility at the market to attract new customers.

“We’re not sitting on Frederica Street or KY 54, so people have to make a point to come to us. We’re only four miles from the bypass, but once you start passing cornfields, it feels a lot farther,” she said. “That’s why we focus on events, catering, and the market — to keep everything rolling.”

The Cottage’s product lineup has grown far beyond its original coffee-and-muffin offerings. In addition to baked goods and seasonal pies — such as cherry, apple, coconut cream, and key lime — Knight has expanded into grab-and-go meals, dips, sides, and what she calls “vacation food.”

“Our garlic mac and cheese flew off the table. We’ve added things like meatloaf, hash brown casserole, lasagna, and pasta salads,” she said. “People come to the market and say, ‘It’s too hot to cook,’ and grab enough to feed the family for the week. Some even take it with them on vacation.”

Knight also noted the business has tapped into the catering market more heavily, especially with box lunches and breakfast spreads for local medical professionals and pharmaceutical reps.

“That helps tremendously because it’s planned out — we know what they want and we’re not just standing there hoping someone walks through the door,” she said.

Knight’s extensive background in catering and event planning (including a decade as director of catering at the Galt House in Louisville) made the transition into those services a natural fit. But even she didn’t anticipate some of the pivots, especially when it comes to burgers.

“I didn’t even put a burger on the menu when we started lunches. I figured you can get a burger anywhere,” she said. “But we did Burger Week and created the Owensburger, and it just blew up.”

This year, the Cottage’s “Kurdtucky” burger sold more than 3,000 during Burger Week alone. Knight said burgers are now their single most popular food item.

“We hand-patty everything and cook to order using meat from Hill View Farms. It’s top-tier quality, and people notice,” she said. “We were cooking on an open flame out the back door, just nonstop. It’s physically and emotionally exhausting — but also a blast. The community is just so supportive.”

Looking back, Knight said she never envisioned the business growing in quite this way. But the key has been adaptability — and Owensboro’s support.

“We’ve evolved so much in four years. From muffins in egg cartons to a full grab-and-go menu, catering, and burger mania,” she said. “You can’t pay for the kind of advertising we get just by showing up and making something people love.”