- Topper Bakery in Ogden reopened with limited hours Wednesday, attracting eager customers.
- The bakery, cherished by locals, was missed for its nostalgia and treats after it was destroyed by a fire in 2021.
OGDEN — For the first time in four years, the doors of Topper Bakery opened to the general public Wednesday morning. A small crowd of longtime customers were eagerly waiting outside as the shop opened up at 8 a.m.
"I guess a (I'm) little bit of sentimental about the place," customer Jamie Richards said. "Back in the '80s, there was a middle school across the street. I used to come here during my lunchtime."
Sweet memories continued to draw in people during the first few hours of the business's first day of soft-opening. Annie Buller brought her 8-year-old son, Chance, who was too young to remember the last time he'd been in.
"We're super excited. We've been waiting for this for quite a while," Buller said. "It's kind of a nostalgia thing. My husband grew up with this."
Co-owners Valeen DeRyke and her son, Lance DeRyke, were also happy to have customers back inside for the first time since the bakery was destroyed by fire in August of 2021. They'd continued to serve commercial clients through a temporary space while they rebuilt, but having people from the general public back in is very important to them.
"Just feels good to have something to do and to have the business up and running," Valeen DeRyke said. "They have been waiting and waiting and waiting. And they're just so excited to come and help support us and to be here to get the the treats that they've known for years."
Topper Bakery will continue to open Wednesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. until it is ready for a full grand reopening, which it anticipates within the next couple of months.
"It's been a long time coming," Lance DeRyke said. "It's definitely not boring. Feels pretty good to finally be doing some stuff."
