Growing up near the avenues, I would pass by Mrs. Backer’s often. It always seemed larger than life, and I doubt I am the only person who feels that way. It gave off a similar vibe to the British store, back when that was here, on 700 East and 500 South, right near Trolley Square.
Mrs. Backer’s is way more of an institution, however. At least this place is still standing.
Bakeries
As someone with a passing interest in baking, I know how hard it is to bake one loaf of bread for your friends, and how difficult it must be to run a bakery (just look at “Fleabag,”). My skills begin and end at banana bread. However, ask anyone around who has had a slice, they will have nothing but the most glowing reviews.
So, when I need anything else, I have to stop at a bakery. I finally decided to check out Mrs. Backer’s last November, as around this time, I have a lot of birthdays since I have so many Scorpios in my life. There is every kind of baked good you could ever imagine or want in that store, from cakes to pastries to bread and even to danishes.
Festive Cakes
They may have all these different baked goods, but if you are going there, chances are you are going for one of their beautifully intricate flowered cakes.
Take a glimpse at their website and you’ll see some of the delicious and festive cakes they put out for the holidays! They have pages for Christmas, Halloween with black and orange cupcakes with little frosting spiders galore, and even a Thanksgiving page.
While the other holiday pages are bursting with color, the Thanksgiving page only has six pictures of brown pies. I would eat every one of the pies, and love every second of eating them, but the visual is hilarious.
Shop Local
Staying on the topic of their website, you can learn more about why they do, what they do and how long they’ve been at it.
It’s all too easy to stop at Smith’s or Walmart on the way home to grab a cake, but the local bakeries have a magic touch that can’t quite be matched. Both in terms of the food they make and the atmosphere of the bakery itself.
People may get tired of hearing it, but it is super important to support your local businesses. Amazon may be a click away, but every time you buy something there, a mom-and-pop shop loses a customer. Even one customer could be the one that puts them over the edge.
Hopefully, Mrs. Backer’s doesn’t have anything to worry about, but it is still good to think about your local businesses before going out and buying something from a chain. Next time you need a beautiful cake, a loaf of bread or a Danish, stop at Mrs. Backer’s.
