The Hey Sugar shop catches your eye with its bright orange color palette and contemporary look. Open the door, though, and it’s the amazing sweet smell of fresh treats straight from the oven that really draws you in.
Oakland’s newest bakery and sweet shop, located in the plaza next to Fox’s Pizza, is easy to spot and even harder to leave.
The smell of freshly baked treats welcomes you at the door. Once inside, the vibrant sweets, special drinks, handmade products, and constantly changing range of baked goods mean that Hey Sugar is more than just a place for a quick dessert stop. It’s an experience, and one that is quickly becoming a favorite with both locals and visitors.
Marissa Mullenax and her husband Aaron operate the business, but the story of Hey Sugar began long before the shop opened.
Marissa was a registered nurse for ten years and enjoyed baking as a hobby, focusing especially on cupcakes. She started to share her cakes with her colleagues and friends, and word of mouth spread. Marissa soon started to bake at home for customers while still working as a nurse. When demand increased in May, she obtained a commercial license and then began working with other local small businesses. What had originally been a creative outlet was gradually turning into a business of its own.
Yet the idea of opening a shop was by no means an easy one.
Marissa had never stopped thinking about the difficulties of starting a new business. When cutbacks took place at the hospital where she was employed, the choice that had once seemed daunting became an opportunity. The time was right, and so Marissa made up her mind to go for her dream.
Luckily, she and Aaron had already found the ideal spot.
The couple owns the building and, when a former tenant moved out in May, the space became available. Along with Aaron’s father, Larry, they carried out a large part of the renovation themselves. Marissa selected the color scheme and did the painting, turning the space into the bright and welcoming shop that customers see today.
The finished space is unmistakably Hey Sugar: cheerful, warm, and with a touch of whimsy.
Each day, Marissa begins work at 5 a.m. so that she can Signature Cupcake Signature Cupcake prepare the treats and place them in the cases before the shop opens at 10. This early start is one of the reasons why a trip to Hey Sugar is so special. The baked goods are made fresh every single day, and the selection is always changing.
Although the story might have started over 10 years ago with cupcakes, Marissa has no plan to stick to just one type of dessert. Since she likes to challenge herself in the kitchen, her customers can look forward to a variety of baked goods along with new items as she continues experimenting. This week she had cupcakes, edible cookie dough, apple cheesecake,
oatmeal cream pies, cinnamon rolls, cannolis, almond croissants, chocolate croissants, chocolate chip cookies and (fan favorite) peanut butter brownies.
People who would like to mark an occasion – or simply want to make it more special – can order custom birthday and wedding cakes from Hey Sugar. With advance notice, Marissa is able to turn a simple customer idea into a centerpiece that is just as tasty as it is memorable.
Her creativity goes beyond the standard menu. Last Christmas, Marissa arranged a cookie buffet and prepared around 4,000 cookies for the two-day event. She soon realized just how much people loved the idea. The cookies sold out in just two hours. It goes without saying, the Christmas cookie buffet event will be back again this year.
The appeal of Hey Sugar isn’t limited to baked goods.
When you enter the shop’s candy room, you may for a moment have the impression that you’ve ended up in a bright seaside candy store. Customers can select from a wide variety of candy and chocolates and create a bag filled with their favorites. This candy is sold by the pound, and the feature attracts both children and adults. Come rediscover your favorites!
Hey Sugar also showcases the creativity of other local makers. Marissa works with local artisans to sell their handmade items in the shop, such as car freshies, locally made polymer clay jewelry, and custom t-shirts. This gives visitors another chance to take home something unique and locally inspired.
Then there is the dirty soda.
Hey Sugar offers a menu of specialty soda combinations. However, customers can also play creator themselves by mixing and matching from an assortment of available fountain drinks, cream, popping bubbles, sweet garnishes, and flavor additions. It’s another unexpected element that sets the shop apart and gives visitors a reason to linger.
Marissa refers to Hey Sugar as “the sweetest place in town.”
There has always been a certain charm in a small business that feels personal. Hey Sugar began with a local baker doing something she enjoyed, listening to the people who told her that she was good at what she did, and eventually gathering up the courage – and spotting the right moment – to turn her passion into something bigger.
Today, you can see that passion in the colorful cases, smell it in the sweet treats that came out of the oven this morning and, of course, taste it.
For those exploring Oakland and Garrett County, it is an easy stop to work into a day spent shopping, seeing the sights, and exploring the area. You might visit in the morning for a treat, pick up something sweet to take with you, look at the local crafts on offer, create your own candy mix, or have a go at a custom dirty soda.
And if you happen to leave with more than you intended, don’t say you weren’t warned. This writer certainly did.
I arrived at Hey Sugar and left with a large cinnamon roll and a dirty soda. After just one bite and one sip, it became obvious that self-control had never been part of the idea.
It was fabulous!
When you’re in Oakland, look for the cheery shop along Third Street and stop on by. The smell of this active bakery will draw you in, but the hardest part will be deciding what to try first.
Written by Tamra Canfield.
From the October issue of the Lakefront Magazine.