LONGVIEW, Texas — A small locally-owned bakery in Longview is battling a challenge that's not so sweet. Yet, the owner said the community support is keeping their costs down and their doors open.
Edible Art Specialty Cakes and Cookies owner Debbie Fontaine said the bakery has battled rising costs of labor.
"You're trying so hard to keep up with the labor force and get as much money in wages because you don't want to lose your good employees," Fontaine said.
Fontaine said employees have had to cut back on hours, but they're always ready to spread hours to others that need them the most.
She said the business is also battling the high prices of goods.
"Eggs are like the glue in a bakery," Fontaine said. "When you go from $52 dollars to $108 and you need four to six orders of that per week, that is a huge amount of money."
The stabilizer in the buttercream has also shot up in price. Fontaine said the price has increased roughly $80.
When labor and goods costs increase, it makes the profit smaller for the bakery, which puts the cost of the custom confections onto the customer.
She said due to the price of flour, sugar, and the new fuel charge, the shop's sugar cookie bundle deal has increased from 3 for $10 to 3 for $12.
"We've all seen it at the grocery store," Fontaine said. "We've definitely seen it at the gas station, with no slowing down in sight yet. It's affecting all of us and so we just have to support each other."
Despite the price increases, Fontaine said the community's continued support has been the sweetest treat of them all.