OLDE TYME PASTRIES

from Yesteryears 2021

ENTERPRISE BLOCK

BY ANGELINA MARTIN

Olde Tyme Pastries owner Terri Coonce never could have imagined that when she first bought the business in 2016, she would be faced with a global pandemic just five years later.

Though she’s now just a few years into her endeavor as a bakery owner, Coonce isn’t new to the business at all — she’s worked there since it first opened on May 1, 1981 and is surrounded by many employees who have been baking bread, cookies, cakes and more for over 20 years.

As Olde Tyme’s 40th anniversary approaches in just a couple of months, the worldwide COVID crisis continues. Coonce and company have had to find new ways to be creative and keep customers coming through the doors, some of which would have seemed impossible 40 years ago.

“Turlock has grown so much in the last 40 years and we’re changing with the times. We’re trying to keep up with new ideas and it’s hard, but it’s even harder with the pandemic going on,” Coonce said.

When Coonce took over as owner, one of the first things she did was create social media pages for the bakery with the help of her daughter. It ended up paying off tremendously when the pandemic hit, allowing Coonce to advertise the business on Facebook pages such as Turlock to Go, and to spread the word about new ideas, like the Easter cookie decorating kits the bakery came up with to offset wedding cake losses last spring.

“We had to get inventive to bring in some sales and keep us from having to lay off employees,” Coonce said.

Through it all, Olde Tyme has still made an effort to give back to the community this year, whether it be through school fundraisers or donating day-old food to The Salvation Army. It’s a connection that Conce doesn’t take for granted, she said, and one that has flourished over the last four decades.

“I know everyone is struggling this year,

Olde Tyme Pastries will celebrate its 40th anniversary this May.

Photo contributed

Customer Focused. Community Owned.

#CommunityOwned | TID.org

including us, but I just can’t say no,” she said.

Coonce’s warmhearted spirit has also brought her closer with customers. She’s a self-described “working boss,” often taking a break from her work to greet patrons she recognizes as they stand in line. Coonce has been decorating wedding cakes at Olde Tyme since its inception, she said, and has seen generations pass through Olde Tyme for some of life’s most important moments.

“I’m doing some third-generation wedding cakes now. That says a lot,” she said. “There are some cases where I’ve done a cake for the grandparents, I’ve done the parents and now I’m doing the kids — and on a couple of occasions, I’ve even done the great grandkids.”

While Olde Tyme’s 40th anniversary arrived in what seemed like the blink of an eye, Coonce has cherished every moment and looks forward to what is yet to come.

“It’s been a total honor. It’s my passion and a dream come true,” she said. “We’re like a family; we’ve all grown up together and a lot of us have been here together for over 20 years.

“We love what we do and I’m glad it happened the way it did.”