I remember the day when the doors opened. 42 years ago, my husband Greg and I felt the surge of excitement, the nervousness, the pride of a dream realized. Our passion for baking led to this – our very own bakery!
Fast forward four decades and a couple years and here we are, celebrating a milestone at Ashley’s Pastry Shop. How grateful we are for all of you that helped us to get here!
As we approach year #42, I’ve been reflecting a lot on our business, and there’s so much here to celebrate.
I have to start with you, our customers.
We wouldn’t be Ashley’s Pastries without the wonderful, loyal, kind customers we have. We are honored you give us the opportunity again and again to do this, to bake memories and bring deliciousness to your families.
You have become our family. We may not gather around the same table, but we are there when newlyweds cut into their wedding cake, or when the chubby hands of a toddler smash into that first birthday cake. We are there when dad surprises sleepy kids with a dozen donuts on a Saturday morning, or mom tucks a special cookie into a lunchbox to celebrate the start of school. While we love celebrating the good times, we’ve also witnessed the hard times, things like news of an illness or the devastating loss of a loved one. Sometimes, our treats bring comfort. We become part of the extraordinary and ordinary moments that add up to a beautiful, delicious life – what a gift!
Secondly, we are so thankful for this community. Since the beginning, we’ve been committed to being a part of the city we call home. We’ve partnered with businesses and nonprofits, working together to make an impact. This is one of our prouder accomplishments.
We’ve also had such great support from so many – bankers, insurance agents, accountants, media partners, city services, police and fire – all working together to help ensure our success.
We are grateful for flexibility and adaptability. As you can imagine, we’ve had to be able to adjust to the world around us and expand to meet customer needs throughout the years. We’ve expanded the menu to account for more dietary restrictions and added more gluten free options to our cases. We’ve seen trends come and go, and we’ve been open to trying new things. During the pandemic we offered curbside delivery and take-home baking kits to meet the needs of customers.
None of this, of course, would be possible without our amazing team. You may not see the bakers working in the wee hours rolling dough, warming the ovens and getting all of the delicious treats ready for you. They are excellent at their craft – it’s evident in the delectable creations they produce daily. We have amazing staff that work behind the counter, greeting you with a smile and providing the excellent customer service that you’ve come to know and expect over the years. We love being able to meet your expectations again and again and again.
My husband, Greg, works diligently behind the scenes. He’s steady and strong and amazing. His expertise in this industry started this all and has kept us going.
While we’re excited about all that has happened the past 42 years, we’re even more excited about what’s to come. Birthdays can be about looking back, but they’re also about looking ahead, planning and dreaming about what’s to come. Please know we’re not done yet! We absolutely love what we do, and we’re looking forward to many more years of baking deliciousness for you, too!
As you can see, we’ve got much to celebrate. We hope you’ll join us on Saturday, June 15, for a birthday party at the bakery. There will be cupcakes for all and a chance to play some fun games and win yummy prizes. We hope to see you there.
Cheers to 42 years, friends!