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Aug 17, 2023

What’s that? Sweet new business is setting up shop in Freeland

A view of Barney's BakeHouse Bakery located at 421 South Van Buren St. in Bay City on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com file)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com FREELAND, MI — A Bay City-based

A view of Barney's BakeHouse Bakery located at 421 South Van Buren St. in Bay City on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com file)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com

FREELAND, MI — A Bay City-based bakery known for its best-selling Almond Joy cookies, jalapeno cheese bread, freshly-baked hot dog and burger buns, and grab-and-go meals like chicken pot pie and lasagna is expanding its sweet business into Saginaw County.

Barney’s Bakehouse Bakery, 421 S. Van Buren St., is opening a new location this fall at 218 N. Main St. in Freeland.

The original Barney’s Bakehouse Bakery is located where Bay City’s historic Barney’s Bakery operated for nearly a century before closing in 2020. Owner and head baker Jarrid Weighman took over the business in November 2020 and said the business has been growing ever since.

“We want to continue on that growth track and felt it was time to expand and have the ability to reach more customers,” states a Barney’s news release announcing the new Freeland location.

Barney’s products are served at some mid-Michigan bars and restaurants and can be found on the shelves at two Jack’s Fruit & Meat Market locations. Earlier this year, Barney’s was among 11 Michigan Small Business Development Center clients to receive Best Small Business awards at the 19th Annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business Awards Gala.

“The response has been overwhelming to our announcement,” Weighman said Monday morning, Aug. 28, the day after he announced the news on Facebook. “We are excited to open a location in Saginaw County. With the addition of our grab-and-go line, we look forward to offering items for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

In addition to breads and desserts, Barney’s offers grab-and-go meals for quick, easy dinners.

“We are finding people are busy and on the go and are enjoying our homemade line of chicken pot pies, lasagna, pasties and fresh salads,” Weighman said.

Weighman sought to assure customers that the Bay City location will remain open and will continue to be Barney’s main production facility for bread, buns and rolls, as those items require a specialized carousel oven for best results.

An opening date for the new Freeland location has yet to be announced, but customers can follow Barney’s BakeHouse Bakery on Facebook for updates.

Read more from MLive:

Michigan’s cider and doughnuts season is almost here, and this fall destination is ready

A niche Old Town Saginaw business closes after 50-plus years

What’s that? $58.6M facility to bring gyms, swimming, water slide to mid-Michigan

Bay City’s Barney’s BakeHouse Bakery named among Michigan’s ‘Best Small Businesses’

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