Joy Ann will close to customers for 2 days to catch up on orders - Palladium-Item

Jason Truitt Richmond Palladium-Item

Published 11:07 AM EST Dec 9, 2018

RICHMOND, Ind. — The front door will be locked Monday and Tuesday at Joy Ann Cake Shop, but fans of the 80-plus-year-old bakery shouldn't worry. The temporary closure to customers actually is the result of good news for the business, according to owner Cindy Scheele.

Joy Ann has received a surge in support over the past few days in the wake of Pal Item coverage of the financial struggles of the downtown icon, Scheele said. Business has been so heavy that the bakery needs a couple of days without new orders so it can catch up on the ones already made.

"We can't keep up with demand," Scheele said. "We ran out of supplies and need to restock and fulfill orders."

The business is expected to reopen to customers Wednesday.

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Joy Ann Cake Shop has operated from the same location in the 600 block of East Main Street since 1936, but Scheele recently told the Pal Item the business is struggling and its future is uncertain.

The hope was that a strong December could provide some relief to the financial pressures facing the bakery, but the worry was that the holiday season doesn't provide the boost it once did.

"Christmas used to be different," Scheele said last month in an interview done on Small Business Saturday. "We had factories. We had Christmas parties. We had huge Christmas orders. We don't have those anymore. We have a great week Christmas week, but what we need is a great December."

City officials have had meetings with Scheele and others involved in the business in an effort to find ways to help Joy Ann remain open. Mayor Dave Snow has said his administration and other groups remain willing to provide whatever aid they can.

"I grew up on South Sixth, right by St. Andrew's church. Joy Ann has always been an important part of family holidays, family birthdays, family celebrations," he said. "I'm a regular customer, so it's as important to me as everyone in this city that Joy Ann survives and thrives."

Jason Truitt is the team leader and senior reporter at the Palladium-Item. Contact him at (765) 973-4459 or jtruitt@pal-item.com.

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