Backroad Bakery owner hopes to 'start small and slowly grow' in West Lafayette

WEST LAFAYETTE − Paying homage to the simple baking recipes she grew up with is the foundation of the new Backroad Bakery operated by Tacey Firewick.

The bakery has been open a little more than a month in the Brickstone Building , 100 W. Main St., West Lafayette. It took over the space once home to Heavenly Sweets Bakery .

"I love being part of the rejuvenation of this little village that used to be. Like a bunch of other small towns, it kind of went down a little bit and is just slowly trying to come back up. I love trying to be part of that rebuilding," Firewick said of being in a part of the village on an upswing. "I'm thankful to the other small businesses in West Lafayette for stopping in, buying stuff and then sharing me on their (social media) pages to get my name and product out there to all their followers as well."

The bakery offers a variety of cookies, muffins, scones and Texas sheet cake. She also does custom orders. Her biggest sellers are the peanut butter and chocolate sheet cakes and chocolate chip cookies. Everything is made on site.

Firewick has been baking her entire life with her mother and grandmother. Her grandparents once owned a catering business and Firewick helped out with the baking at a young age. As she got older, she baked out of her home for friends and family. She eventually thought baking was something she could make a go of.

"There has not been a day that has gone by where I'm not amazed by the new customers coming in and customers from the community coming back once, twice, three times a week," she said on community response.

Firewick's goal is to pay homage to the simple recipes she grew up with, which she knows most other residents did as well with their parents and grandparents.

"You walk into a bakery now and there might be a couple simple things, but almost everything has gone to trends of five or six different flavors in one cookie and you can't just get a simple chocolate chip cookie with flour, sugar and chocolate chips in it anymore," she lamented.

Firewick is the only employee, but her mother and husband help too. She has a small cooler with drinks and coffee. She'd like to add fresh baked breads.

"I wanted to start small and slowly grow," she said.

Backroad Bakery is open from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Wednesday and Friday and 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Learn more at the Facebook page or email backroadbakery23@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Backroad Bakery owner hopes to 'start small and slowly grow' in West Lafayette