The Bakery keeps busy with new location in Marine 

The Bakery opened at 101 East Alton Street in Marine. (Bruce Darnell photo)

By Bruce Darnell • Located at 101 E. Alton St., The Bakery has turned from a local pop-up dessert shop to a fully-run business providing sweets of all sorts.

Jessica Kutz, who co-owns the business with her husband, said they opened during the first weekend of May, forgetting the exact day. But when you see how busy they are, you can understand how she’d already forget when it all started.

Between 7:30 and 8 a.m. on May 23—a Saturday—more than a baker’s dozen worth of people showed up to buy anywhere from a handful of donuts to a whole box full. Outside, the air was still blue from the rising sun and the ground covered in dew when they had to replace a sold-out tray of danish.

The Bakery has odd hours, as according to their Facebook page they only operate on Fridays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., which may explain some of the rush from customers.

Kutz said The Bakery makes and sells custom cakes, cake pops, cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies and other in-house items. She said a custom order will typically be in the $50 range. She added they work with other businesses in the area, such as The Worn Whisk in New Baden, which provides the donuts sold at The Bakery. 

The priciest items on display are the gooey butter cakes, which cost $10. The cheapest are the donuts, which are $1.75.

Outside of the display goods, The Bakery’s space includes seating, a coffee machine and a play area in the back of the store to keep visiting customers’ kids occupied.

Kutz has been baking since 2012. She started baking for friends and family before extending it into a pop-up business. About a year ago, she and her husband purchased the property at the corner of East Alton Street. They’ve been using it for various pop-up shops, but in the last few months have fully converted it into a bakery.

Kutz said The Bakery’s main goal is to sell things that are locally made and to do so in a sustainable way by attempting to avoid plastic waste. They also plan to add a refillery, a spot where customers can bring in containers and refill household items like soap.