“Don’t give up,” Fort Wayne mom shares her love of baking with new store on Main Street

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - For Allison Lewis baking is a passion and hobby that turned into a career she never expected.

"I have a turf degree from Purdue," Allison Lewis said. "My 100% passion is grass, okay? But my second passion is baking."

Lewis says that passion started at a young age with her mom and grandma in the kitchen. When she and her husband Josh got married, she made their wedding cake.

Over the years she would sell her cakes, cookies and other baked goods at local farmers markets. But as their family grew her hobby was done mostly at night.

"I had three kids," Lewis said. "Midnight was a time when it was quiet, I didn't have to worry about them getting in to anything. It's now embedded that we cake at midnight."

'Caking at Midnight' officially became a business inside the Lewis home in 2019. Then the pandemic hit.

"It was probably the best thing that could have happened for us," Lewis said. "Everybody wanted small wedding cakes for intimate things and birthday cakes, so it was something that just blossomed from there."

With the success of the business, Lewis says the new store, located at the corner of Main and Cherry Street in downtown Fort Wayne, was an unexpected blessing.

The shop will be open Wednesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Lewis says the hope is that as the business grows the hours will change and grow too. Maybe even having the bakery open at midnight as she makes her sweet treats.

"As we see more of a need to be open later and find somebody to help we'd love too," Lewis said. "Especially with all the bars and everyone who gets a sweet tooth at night."

Saturday, Lewis will hold a grand opening for the bakery starting at 10 a.m. There will be lots of giveaways including a free cookie for those who show up in their costumes (as supplies last).