Catherine O’Donnell, creator of Willow Cakes and Pastries and all the delicious treats that name brings to mind, has announced that the family bakery is closing at the end of January.
The business so familiar to locals, located at the corner of Mary and Mississauga Streets, hung on to celebrate its 20th anniversary, “but we’ve been talking about this for a year and a half,” her son Sean told The NOTL Local. And although it is the best option moving forward, “it’s been hard on my mom. She’s given her blood, sweat and tears to this place.”
As co-owner with his mother, Sean has in recent years been the face of the popular bakery working behind the counter, more recently joined by his sister Sara, but it was Catharine’s dream, and her talent, said Sean, that has made it the go-to place for beautiful, unique custom cakes, as well as artisan breads and the large variety of baked treats often enjoyed in the small storefront cafe.
The Willow website calls it a patisserie that “is truly a Niagara-on-the-Lake must-stop-shop,” a bold statement, but one many regulars would agree with.
However, as popular as it’s been, it was time to make a decision for the future, Sean said, and the decision has been made to close the cafe and bake shop, moving forward in a way that will allow Catherine to continue doing what she loves, while having less stress and more balance in her life. She has been so busy teaching at Niagara College, raising a granddaughter and working in the kitchen bakery, Sean said, “it’s time for her to go out and have some fun. But this is her baby, and it will be sad to see it go.”
They have leased a unit on Mary Street, which he refers to as a “production centre.” There will be no store front, but both Catharine and Sean will be involved.
They will be operating two sides to the operation, he explains. One will be called The Willow, with Catherine continuing to make her much sought-after custom cakes and wedding creations to order. The other is Simply Shortbread, which Sean describes as an online mail-order business. They will be able to deliver across Canada, and of course locally, he said.
“We’re also hoping some of the wineries will allow us to put an assortment of our items on their shelves,” such as some of the 30 different types of shortbread they offered in the bake shop, and will continue to make.
It will be a very different business model — one that has them paying a significantly lower rent, and considerably less on ingredients, insurance and staff. “It becomes so much more affordable for us,” he said.
Sean too is looking forward to having more time on his hands and to switch gears somewhat. “It’s really time for me to do some soul-searching,” he said, unsure at this point of what he wants to do.
Since posting the news of the store closure on social media, he’s heard from many people who have commented or come into the store to chat. Their reaction makes it clear how much the local bakery will be missed. “It’s a little bit of everything from people who are sad to see us go, but also everyone seems to have an understanding of why we’re doing it. It’s been very emotional.”
He tells The Local that the business is still going to be involved in the community. About the giant Canada Day cake that warrants its own parade down Queen Street, he said, “we’ll probably keep doing it. It’s really about logistics — there is a lot to it.”
Willow is famous for its 17 individually-themed Canada Day cakes, a tradition they took on in the bakery's first year in business right up to this past summer, with the exception of COVID years, he said.
He and Catherine will miss seeing the familiar faces, loyal customers “who have become friends and family for us. We have had customers who started coming in as kids for a treat with their grandparents, who are now ordering their wedding cakes from us.”
To all of them he says “thank you,” for helping to make his mother’s dream come true "and giving her 20 years of doing what she loves to do."
That is what is allowing her to move on to this next stage of her life, as she begins “this exciting new chapter” of her life.
