Staff Writer
HOULTON — “Too many cakes, too little room.”
That’s what got Cari Hutchison, owner of the Pastry Corner, hunting for a new business home.
Photo courtesy of Tammey Scott
THE PASTRY CORNER — After working out of space at Dow’s Market for several years, The Pastry Corner has moved to a new location. With help from her family, pictured here, owner Cari Hutchison had refurbished the former Donut Country store on Bangor Street where she opened for business on Tuesday. From left, are: daughters Alissa and Sarah, Cari, son Riley and husband Adam.
For close to four years, she had been operating her pastry and cake business from one corner of Dow’s Market, the High Street store where she first started.
But keeping up with the demand became tough in that small space, and this summer she found her new location at the former Donut Country store on Bangor Street. With help from her family and after roughly a month’s worth of renovation, the long-vacant building was brought up to date.
“It was completely empty. We didn’t really have to take anything out,” she explained. “It was mostly putting new woodwork up and adding new paint.”
The new Pastry Corner store, which opened Tuesday, will be a base of operations for Hutchinson’s work. It’s where she’ll make all her special orders, cakes and the baked goods she distributes to area stores. Also at the new location, treats, along with soda, coffee, milk and water, will be available for take-out customers.
“A lot of it will be the same,” Hutchinson said of the business. “But I am going to extend it. I’m going to do more cookies, especially molasses cookies for my grandfather.”
Fudge has also been added to her regular lineup of baked goods, and customers will still be able to call in orders for cakes and sweet platters. Eventually, Hutchinson said she’s hoping to add pies to the menu, too.
Sweet treats and cakes from the Pastry Corner have become popular around the area, but Hutchison said she didn’t always like baking.
“When I got married I couldn’t cook at all,” she says with a smile.
The Pastry Corner got its start one day while Hutchison was working at Dow’s Market. The High Street store was delayed in getting other pastries so Hutchison volunteered to make a batch of cookies.
“I started cooking a few batches to keep out on the counter,” she said. “I never expected it to become something this big. Even when we built that section at Dow’s, we thought I’d be there forever.”
But The Pastry Corner has continued to grow, adding new items.
“This [expanded space] will help me keep up with the demand,” she said. “And it will give people a location on this side of town.”
Hutchison credits the business growth to her own sweet tooth and the need for home-baked goods.
“One of the reasons I’m probably good at this is because I’m a chocaholic,” she admits. “And people don’t always have time to cook for themselves.”
The Pastry Corner, located at 79 Bangor St., is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. In addition to the new location, Pastry Corner treats will still be available at: Dow’s Market, Doc’s, Linneus Corner Store, Cameron’s Market and Beal’s Variety.
For more information, contact The Pastry Corner at 521-0026.
