ONEIDA — It’s been two years since Bella Vita owner Lori Seef opened her cafe/bakery at 115 Main St. Since then, the Oneida community has been totally supportive, she said, adding that she’s been trying to give back in kind.

“Oneida has treated me amazingly,” she said. “I’m more involved with the city than I ever thought I’d be. Everything from helping Wanderers’ Rest to the Department of Social Service’s blessing bags. We’ve helped people through the winter with food and clothing, and now we’re holding the third annual Catstock.”

Seef said Oneida is amazing — and though some have asked her why she took such a risk to open a bakery during the pandemic, Seef said it was a risk she was willing to take.

“Everyone thought I was crazy,” she said with a laugh. “But I’m a risk-taker. It was a great opportunity to start off in the right direction, especially with the pandemic going on. And with the community supporting us, it’s just been great.”

For 25 years, Seef ran eight different Rite Aid stores and while she excelled at the fast paced environment that the job demanded, pneumonia struck.

“And no sooner did I try to get over that, came COVID-19,” she said. “And then it was right into bronchial pneumonia. And the doctors said I’d never be able to go back to that high-paced business.”

Her husband, then fiance, was supportive and asked Seef just what she wanted to do with her life — and from then on he would try to help make it happen. Seef decided on a bakery.

One empty jewelry store later, and Bella Vita was born.

“This was my dream,” she said. “When I first opened the store, I could barely walk 10 feet. My lung capacity was shot. But after a lot of therapy and medication, I’m almost back to 100%.”

Since Bella Vita’s opening, the cafe and bakery have expanded into the building next door.

There were a few hiccups when the supply chain faltered and getting a hold of raw ingredients became harder. And then prices went up and that made things difficult for Seef and Bella Vita, who wanted to keep things affordable.

“We did a lot of research, and I was actually thinking about getting my own chickens for a while,” Seef said with a laugh. “We weren’t here to make a million dollars. We were here to make memories, relax, have a cup of coffee and a pastry, and enjoy.”

“I was born and raised here in Oneida, and I want to see it back to what it was when I was growing up,” she said.

“If that’s supporting other businesses, supporting the community, or just helping bring back that life we once had in the city then I’m all for it,” the bakery owner added.

For information about the cafe, go to www.bellavitacafellc.com.