Freestyle Brings Family, Flavor to New NY-28 Location
By JULIA DELPOZZO
SUNY Institute for Local News
MILFORD
Freestyle, a family-run “cafe, bakery and gift shop” known for its creative baked goods and welcoming atmosphere, has found a new home at 2515 New York State Route 28, just south of Milford Center near Goodyear Lake.
Owned by husband-and-wife team Vincent and Rebekah Hopkins, Freestyle—previously known as Freestyle Confections—has grown steadily since opening its brick-and-mortar shop in 2021. The bakery, which serves customers from Oneonta and surrounding communities, is rooted in family, flexibility and a love of food made with care.
Both owners grew up surrounded by cooking and baking. Rebekah spent years watching and learning on her grandparents’ farm, while Vincent was raised in a Puerto Rican household where, as Rebekah puts it, “food is the center of every family gathering.”
The idea for Freestyle began in May 2018, when the couple decided they no longer wanted to work separately. That decision led to the creation of Freestyle Confections, now commonly known simply as Freestyle.
Like many small food businesses, they started at home. Rebekah and Vincent became cottage bakers—known in New York as “home processors”—registered through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
“We had to bake everything out of our home kitchen. Everything had to be shelf stable, made with our home kitchen equipment—no commercial equipment—and it all had to be prepackaged and labeled with very specific details before we could go sell at farmers’ markets and events,” explained Rebekah.
The business expanded during the pandemic. In 2020, Rebekah began selling gifts online, and the in-person café followed in 2021. Since then, Freestyle has continued to evolve, combining baked goods, beverages and curated gifts under one roof. They have operated out of a handful of retail spaces in the Oneonta area, including three years on Oneonta’s Main Street.
The new NY-28 location is in the former Bear Pond Winery building.
Family remains central to the operation. Their children help out regularly, making the shop as much a family space as a business. Their son, Ezekiel, often dances outside the shop in a cookie costume to attract customers, earning the title of “mascot.” Their daughter, Emerson, plays a key role inside, managing the front of the café.
“She loves talking to customers, taking their orders and going to make the drinks!” said Rebekah.
The couple’s foster daughter, Delilah, also helps run the front of the house.
The name Freestyle reflects both creativity and personality.
“We were searching and searching for the right name, and our daughter Emerson had a little LEGO guy with a T-shirt that said ‘Freestyle,’” Rebekah explained. “We started talking about how perfect that sounded for us, because we not only love music and Vincent does freestyle beatboxing, but we also wanted to switch our bakery menu daily!”
The menu features a wide variety of baked goods, including loaded brownies, gourmet cookies, jumbo Rice Krispies treats, artisan bread, granola, whoopie pies, scones, fruit crumble bars and fruit pies. Rebekah shared that their signature brookie—a blend of a traditional chocolate chip cookie and a Dutch cocoa cookie—is their most popular item.
The café also serves breakfast and lunch sandwiches, drinks like coffee and hot cocoa, and rotating seasonal offerings.
Freestyle accommodates a range of dietary needs, including gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, vegan and keto options.
“We try to accommodate everyone,” said Rebekah.
Rebekah designed the dining room herself, aiming for a cozy, nostalgic feel.
“We want it to feel like home. And we have been told time and time again that it does,” Rebekah said proudly.
Customers have compared the homey restaurant-slash-gift-shop vibe to the popular comfort food chain Cracker Barrel. During the winter, a puzzle is often set out for customers, while warmer months bring outdoor seating under a pavilion built alongside the building.
Their business model is built around small-batch baking that highlights individual ingredients.
“We are very focused on a quality versus quantity menu,” said Rebekah.
Freestyle also fills special orders for birthdays, holidays and events, including frequent orders from SUNY Oneonta.
“The SUNY parents are so appreciated by us,” Rebekah said, explaining that parents often order cakes, balloons, and handmade gifts for their kids when the college students cannot make the trip home on their birthdays. “They have helped keep us afloat when things are quiet.”
For the Hopkins family, the atmosphere matters as much as the food.
“Our favorite sound in the café is laughter,” Rebekah said.
Freestyle is open every Thursday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This story was created by student reporters through the OnNY Community Media Lab, a program of SUNY Oneonta and the SUNY Institute for Local News.
