A lot has changed for Fayetteville bakery Rockin' Baker in the past year, says owner and operator Daymara Baker. The nonprofit organization hires employees from vulnerable populations -- people with learning disabilities, senior citizens, veterans and the recently incarcerated, for example -- to train them to bake delicious bread and pastries from scratch. As the organization prepares to celebrate its second anniversary with a family-friendly parking lot party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 3, Baker took a moment to reflect on the big changes the nonprofit has experienced.
"We're now open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays, and then we're doing more wholesale to keep the Academy going," says Baker of the biggest change. The bakery's location -- tucked back on North Mall Avenue just south of the Northwest Arkansas Mall -- was a difficult location to build up foot traffic for daily breakfast and lunch business, so Baker made the decision of limiting the retail business to her two busiest days. The change also allows Rockin' Baker cadets to work on the increase in wholesale orders their new bread dough separator -- a gift from a generous benefactor -- allows them to produce.
Go & Do
Parking Lot Party
Benefiting The Rockin’ Baker
When: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 3
Where: 3761 N. Mall Ave. in Fayetteville
Cost: $5 includes all activities
Information: (479) 313-6767
"We do orders for Juice Palm, Leverett Lounge, The Farmer's Table and a little cafe in Springdale called Bites and Bowls," says Baker. "And Big Orange, out of Rogers, that's our largest account. They buy a lot of buns -- they move thousands of buns a week. "
Big Orange general manager JR Bowling says his organization was attracted to the nonprofit angle of Baker's business.
"We love what she does with her business model, first and foremost," says Bowling. "Secondly, we absolutely love to support local businesses and support the local community. And her product is fantastic. She takes a lot of pride and joy in her work, and you can tell by the quality of the work that comes out of her kitchen."
Cooking larger volumes of bread and pastries means Baker's cadets are getting a marketable skill that they will hopefully be able to take with them when they move to full-time jobs at other establishments. Baker recently had a cadet move on to a full-time job at Wright's BBQ in Johnson, and she gets referrals for employees from other nonprofit organizations like the Arkansas Support Network. That's how employee Leigh Glass found Baker. Glass, a person living with autism, has been employed with Baker for over a year now and has created four original recipes for cookies that the restaurant sells.
"She has those three cookies that we carry all the time, and she came up with a cookie for Halloween that is in the shape of a bat," says Baker. "It's all dark chocolate, and is filled with a pumpkin puree, a kind of mousse."
With a great deal of progress being made by both the bakery and its cadets, it's no wonder that Baker is excited about the upcoming parking lot party.
"The idea is to celebrate, with the community, the two years that we've been bringing life to this mission," says Baker. She's excited to be partnering on the party with the Community Creative Center, of which she's an original co-founder. The Center's "Wheel Mobile Traveling Art Studio" will also be on location for kids and adults who want to try their hand at pottery making. This custom-fitted Winnebago carries nine pottery wheels, as well as other arts and crafts supplies so that kids of all ages can express their creativity. The Rockin' Baker's neighbors, Phat Tire Bike Shop, will be offering free bike clinics, and a $5 ticket buys an individual entry to all of the party's other games and activities.
All proceeds from the parking lot party will help sustain Rockin' Baker as it moves into its third year of helping its employees transition into the workplace. Baker says that volunteers are always welcome, and those wishing to donate money to the cause can do so through the organization's website. Though the bakery is busy baking up a storm for their wholesale orders, Baker says she and her team are always ready to take on more.
NAN Our Town on 10/25/2018