SALAMANCA — The aroma of freshly baked pastries, breads and the like will no longer be evident on Main Street when Dessert Art Bakery moves to a new location at 679 Broad St. next month.
The bakery opened last September at 77 Main St., but Rachael Ferguson said she made the decision to relocate her shop a few weeks ago when her former business partner, Carol Bryant, had to leave the business — making her sole owner.
Ferguson said she was looking for more space at a better location with less restrictions. She also wanted to be more visible to the public and offer ample parking for the convenience of her customers.
“Not only is there more parking, but the location will also be better because more people drive by that spot everyday. I keep saying that Broad Street is the new Main Street,” she commented.
Ferguson has not yet been able to hire help so she’s been on her own baking and running the business for the last month and a half. In spite of this, she said the business has been doing really well. In the near future, she hopes to bring some help on board because she’s quite certain the new location will bring in a ton of customers.
Under the same name, Dessert Art Bakery will be located in the Broad Street Plaza next to Auto Zone. Ferguson hopes to move her business into the new location during the first week of February.
Her dad, Jim Ferguson, who is a contractor, has been getting the new shop ready and has designed it with the customers in mind. They will be able to watch Rachael work at her craft, making sweet treats through an open area.
“The space is bigger, especially the kitchen, and it’s really cool.” she said. “You’ll actually be able to see me bake in the kitchen.”
Ferguson, of Salamanca, who is an experienced baker and a cupcake expert, left for college after graduating from Salamanca High School in 2011. She returned after attending a nine-month program at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Boston, Mass.
“I was mainly culinary, but I took a baking class got an A-plus. It was the only class that I never got lower than a 95 in,” she said as she laughed.
Ferguson finished culinary school and came back home to Salamanca and got a job at the casino where she still works part-time. While working there, she discovered that she liked baking much more and began thinking about her passion.
“I was randomly making cupcakes at home one day and then I realized how much I loved making cupcakes,” she said. “I made cupcakes every other day. I also make pastries like Danishes and eclairs.”
At her bakery, Ferguson will continue to offer homemade cupcakes, cookies, brownies, muffins and jumbo muffins, bagels, breads, rolls, pastries, coffee and more. Specialty cakes will also be offered. She will be adding more types of breads to the list and, in the summer, she plans to make her own frozen yogurt and smoothies.
Making donuts was not an option at the current location due to building codes and insurance purposes relating to deep fryers, however Ferguson plans to add baked donuts to her list of sweet treats.
“I found a whole recipe book of baked donut recipes, so I’ll be baking them,” she said. “They have more of a cake-texture and are actually healthier for you because they’re not fried in oil. Everybody likes them and I’ve never had any negative feedback from anyone who has tried them. I can do any kind — long johns, filled donuts — anything.”
John Sheehan, executive director of Seneca Salamanca Chamber of Commerce, commented that his family loves Dessert Art Bakery.
“We have tried the cookies, donuts, cupcakes and more,” he said. “Whether the bakery is located on Main Street, Broad Street or any other street in Salamanca, once a customer tries their products, they will drive anywhere to enjoy their delicious food.”
The bakery is expected to open at its Broad Street location in early February. Hours of operation at the new location will be Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. For special orders or more information, call (716) 860-8419.
(This story appears in the Jan. 30, 2014 edition of The Salamanca Press.)
