Owners of The Corner Cup Micro-Bakery in Festus invite customers to visit their new business, but advise them to not wait too late in the day.
“We sell out every day,” said one of the owners, Carolyn Walton, 57, of Crystal City. “Business has been good. People are finding us.”
The business, at 2 East Main St., opened May 28. Walton and her husband, Harold, own The Corner Cup, and Carolyn Walton and her sister, Amanda Boyer, 42, of Hillsboro, run the business.
“We’ve been baking together forever,” Carolyn Walton said.
“We’re really good at making pastries,” Boyer added.
Walton said the shop offers a variety of baked goods.
“We have scones, muffins, cupcakes, cookies, pies,” she said. “We also have gluten-free options on occasion.”
Boyer said customers may find surprises on the menu on any given day. “We also have different treats days, such as brownies and Rice Krispies treats, to name a few,” she said.
Their treats are baked fresh daily.
“We start baking a little before 4 in the morning,” Boyer said. The bakery also offers Kaldi’s Coffee.
The eatery can seat up to 24 customers.
“People talk about the coziness of the atmosphere,” Boyer said. “We also offer outdoor seating, weather permitting.”
Walton said she was inspired to open her own business after watching others succeed with their own enterprises.
“My husband and I own the building,” she said. “After years of watching other people live out their dreams, we decided to give it a try.”
Walton said other siblings helped ready the building for the business.
“It was a family affair,” she said. “Our brothers, Dave Stanley and Kenny Stanley of Pioneer Electric, did the electrical and construction work. They did the HVAC.”
Boyer said she has a background in restaurant work.
“I’ve worked at other coffee houses and bakeries,” she said.
“We both have, but she has more experience,” Walton added.
Walton said she is enjoying running The Corner Cup.
“It’s a heavy workload, but it’s been so fun seeing the faces of the community,” she said. “I didn’t expect to enjoy it this much.”
Boyer said she has appreciated the way downtown businesses have welcomed her and her sister.
The Corner Cup is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays.