At the intersection of Vermontville Highway and Chester Road is a small bakery. The building is simple, surrounded by fields and an Amish farm next door. Henry and Edna Mae Detweiler, a modest couple with two small children, own the farm and the bakery.
Inside the bakery visitors are welcomed by the scent of baked goods, shelves of sweets and crafts, and the kind faces and words of the Detweilers and their relatives. The environment is simple and quiet, reflective of the lifestyle of the owners.
Sunset Acres Bakery opened one year ago when Henry and Edna Mae realized a vision Henry had carried for several years. Henry had long seen the potential of the intersection property as a good place to start a business. Combining the potential of the location with Edna’s desire to open a coffee shop, the couple opened a coffee shop and bakery in their yard, off the beaten path of town, away from the clutter and the noise.
Esthetically speaking, the location is perfect. One would be hard pressed to find a calmer spot for coffee, a good morning read, and silence in their own home, let alone at another coffee house/bakery. It could be a lengthy drive for some, but for Amish baked goods, hearty breakfast sandwiches, reasonably priced coffee, and a calm atmosphere, who would complain?
On the shelves customers can find cinnamon rolls, varieties of cookies, coffee cakes, syrups, jams, and other assortments of sweets. Sunset Acres not only offers their own homemade goods, but also some of other Amish neighbors and local crafters. There are the staple goods, but Edna and her help rotate recipes and try new things as well. According to Henry, the bakery also takes special orders for various needs and events.
The product, the atmosphere, and the location are all major bonuses to the ownership for Henry and Edna Mae. But for Henry the real joy is being close to his family.
“The best thing for me is being home with my son and daughter,” said Henry.
But the community component isn’t limited to Henry’s family. The camaraderie of everyday visitors from surrounding towns and communities makes ownership of the year old business enjoyable as well. From Charlotte, Middleville, Vermontville, and beyond visitors come to buy treats for home and a coffee for the day. After one year the Detweilers’ little stop has fallen into the place and routine they envisioned.
Saturday, April 14 Sunset Acres will have an open house celebrating their first year of business. All day visitors can come out enjoy some free ice cream and other desserts while seeing how the country bakery has grown over the last year. As Spring rolls back over Michigan and County Journal readers are stepping back into the sunlight and looking for warm weather activities, it would be well worth the visit to Sunset Acres Bakery to welcome in the warm weather and celebrate one of Eaton County’s best-kept secrets.
