Bridgeport, your sweet tooth may soon meet its match. One of Harrison County’s – and the West Virginia’s – most well-known bakeries is coming to the city.

 

Earlier this week, officials with White Oaks and a co-owner of Bonnie Belle’s Pastries confirmed that the decades-old business will be opening a second location at the development situated just off of Interstate 79. The business will be located in the White Oaks Retail Village, which is home to McFly Outdoors, Cody’s and the White Oaks Salon.

 

Even better, the new location comes during the company’s 70^th year of doing business. They opened shop on May 15, 1947.

 

“We’re making the move because we believe the demand is there for it,” said co-owner Pat Hawkins, who operates the business with his mother Linda Fowler. “We’ve been talking about going to Morgantown for a few years, but this looked like a place where we could expand and have a little better control in relation to our Nutter Fort store. Morgantown, right now, is a little further away than we would like.”

 

What that means is Bridgeport residents, those working here or anyone traveling along State Route 279 or getting off of Interstate 79 at the Jerry Dove Drive exit will have a chance to get a taste of what many have raved about for years. Hawkins said all the favorites offered at the existing location – from cupcakes and sugar cookies to their famous white almond cake and pepperoni rolls – will be available locally.

 

“We saw this as a good opportunity with all of those businesses out there, including those at the development and the FBI and hospital, along with the interstate traffic. We think, and we hope, we’ll have our hands full,” he said. “This is really easy on and easy off as far as interstate access and we even hope to get business from the WVU crowd.

 

“We’re going to find out quickly if everything I learned in school and business about location is true,” he continued. “We think it’s the ideal location.”

 

Venturing out to new locations isn’t new for the business that was started by Pat Hawkins’ grandmother Bonnie Belle Hawkins and her husband Richard. He said they had previously operated Linda Carroll Pastries at the Middletown Mall, but opted not to renew the lease when the Meadowbrook Mall opened. He also said they had a store in the old mall in Morgantown that many access off of Interstate 68.

 

“We still have thoughts of going to Morgantown, but that’s in the future. Our focus is on the new location in Bridgeport,” said Hawkins.

 

Ron Stanley, the managing member of High Tech Corridor Development that oversees business at White Oaks, believes it’s a good move for Bonnie Belle’s and a great fit for the development.

 

“It’s absolutely going to generate traffic for people that utilize the park, going to the hospital, going to and from the FBI and much more,” said Stanley. “They already have business from Fairmont and Morgantown and this will make that much easier and will help expand it. The people I work with are excited, but are a little worried about wanting to go there too much once it opens, which should tell you how good their product is.”

 

Hawkins said they will occupy roughly 1400 square feet. He said he hopes to be open by the middle of June or by July 1 at the latest.

 

The majority of the goods for sale will be prepared in Nutter Fort, but all decorating of items in the store will be done on site. There will be an oven and some baking that will take place in Bridgeport.

 

Hawkins said the store in Bridgeport will offer a first – delivery service. He also said a new Web site is in the works that will allow individuals to place orders on line.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Pat Hawkins and his mother Linda Fowler, co-owners, during a break from the action, while Pat is shown doing a specialty cake below.