EAT Sticky toffee pudding with bacon and butterscotch sauce at Snuff Mill Restauant, Butchery & Wne Bar. Photo by Butch Comegys
Since the pandemic’s start, sales of desserts and baked goods have soared sky high
By Pam George
W
hen Lori Wirt Hilferty was furloughed during the pandemic, she put her time to good use. In April 2020, Hilferty and pal Tony Rizzo began selling cinnamon buns that customers could send to first responders. In short order, customers also decided to place orders for themselves, and the Cinnamon Bun Exchange was born. Between the company’s start and Father’s Day 2020, the Cinnamon Bun Exchange delivered 12,000 orders — 144,000 hand-rolled buns. Today, drivers ferry the scrumptious cargo to West Chester, Philly and Middletown, and points in between. The product is also available in local stores — including Janssen’s Market, Bachetti Bros. and ShopRite — and nationwide via shipping. Hilferty is not the only businessperson who’s found a sweet sales spot. At Snuff Mill Restaurant, Butchery & Wine Bar, dessert sales have been “huge,” says Bill Irvin, the Brandywine Hundred restaurant’s co-owner. “I’ve never seen it like this before. I am like, ‘Holy smokes, we sell a lot of desserts.’” Scott Stein, co-owner of Bardea Food & Drink, has also seen sales spike. “I’ve noticed that we’ve sold more desserts in the past six months than we’ve ever sold,” he says. “It’s a big focus of our menu now.” ► MARCH 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 35
