Channel 3 news team visits Bakery on Maple Friday morning

Bakery on Maple co-owner Erika Stirk lays out freshly baked cinnamon rolls as Channel 3 team looks on. David Landi, co-owner and spouse, who baked the rolls looks on from the kitchen. | David Fortier

Posted By: David Fortier January 15, 2024

By David Fortier

A Channel 3 news team arrived bright and early Friday morning to report on the latest developments at Bakery on Maple, which last weekend announced it was having financial difficulties and might have to close.

The announcement on Facebook resulted in an overwhelming show of support from the community for the bakery and its owners, Erika Stirk and David Landi.

Channel 3 reporter Olivia Schueller and cameraman Jeff Kolan arrived just after 9 a.m., a little later than expected, since they had been delayed by traffic after covering another assignment earlier.

Schueller checked her phone for updates about where the team would be heading next, but after fitting Stirk with a microphone, her focus shifted to Stirk and how the bakery started as a project out of her home.

As part of the interview preparation, Stirk and Landi were tasked with inviting a few people to the session, among them Mayor Jeffrey Caggiano and State Rep. Mary Fortier. Fortier made it to session and was interviewed. Caggiano did not respond.

From upper left, clockwise, co-owner Erika Stirk packaging cinnamon roles for customer Patti Philippon, Ch. 3 reporter Olivia Schueller fitting Stirk with a microphone, Mary Fortier being interviewed, Economic and Community Development director Justin Malley chats with Stirk and David Landi and the Ch. 3 team interviews Stirk. | David Fortier

Economic Community Development director Justin Malley did show up briefly and held a short conversation with Landi in the kitchen while the interview with Stirk was being conducted. Stirk joined the two when the Ch. 3 team interviewed Fortier.

Fortier, who lives within walking distance of the bakery, talked about how much she loves being so close. She also shared that most recently she had Erika bake a Daniel Tiger cake for a grandchild’s birthday.

While the session was underway, several customers knocked at the door, and when informed about what was going on, said they would be back.

American Clock and Watch Museum executive director Patti Philippon, stopped in and stuck around long enough to chat a bit and buy some freshly made cinnamon rolls.

“Great bakery, good people,” Philippon said.

“They have done cupcakes for our kids’ tea parties, they have done cupcakes for ‘Wine Woman and Watches,'” she said. “They’ve actually made donations for some of our raffle prizes.”

Not only do they provide baked good for the museum, she added, they have baked chocolate cupcakes with chocolate mousse frosting for family birthdays and graduations.

Her personal favorite? “The ham and cheese croissant.”

The interview aired Friday evening. Click here for the report.

In the meantime, Landi said he and Stirk are juggling their schedule, trying to accommodate customers. Last weekend, during the snowstorm on Sunday, they ended their day around 9:30 p.m. making deliveries, after starting around 3 a.m.

In addition, they adjust their hours — they are opened Friday noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 9 to 3 p.m. They will be filling custom orders some evenings during the coming week, he said, and encouraged people to use the website for their orders. Click here for the website.

He said the outpouring of support has been overwhelming — lines on last Saturday were out the door and around the block. They had to close several times to buy supplies before reopening.

A GoFundMe that started last week has received over 100 donations and almost half of the $10,000 goal as of Sunday evening. Click here.

The bakery’s plight has been noticed across the state, after an account appeared in the Hartford Courant, as well as a few other venues, such as Ch. 3, but it has also reached across the country. Stirk and Landi have received a request for their croissants from California. Now they have to figure out a way to get the delicacies there.

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