For the past 2 ½ years, Sweet Simone’s has been Waitsfield's favorite bakery for the freshest, delectable pastries, cakes, pies, fresh bagels, and seasonal baked goods all made from scratch (The New York Times even wrote about their amazing coconut cake!). And now they are poised to become Richmond’s new hot spot. “We always use the best quality, local and organic products whenever possible”, said SWEET SIMONE’S owner, Lisa Curtis. “Now we will be able to serve our customers better than ever with more space and room to grow.” The need for more space spurred the search for a bigger kitchen to support their growth. Then, after reading about On The Rise closing, Lisa’s wheels started turning. When the space on Bridge Street became available, she saw a perfect fit; she could be closer to home, be present in her local community and at the same time, fill Richmond’s need for another great bakery. When she found out the space had the very same street address as the Waitsfield location, she knew it was meant to be. Focus will remain on the same signature products that have built their loyal following, with more room for creating beautiful and delicious sweets. In addition to the retail business, wedding cakes and supplying quality sweets for wholesale to restaurants and hotels will also be a focus of Sweet Simone’s. With a deep passion for helping create memorable events for her clients, Curtis is looking forward to growing her wedding cake and dessert clients. In this new location, she will be able to serve more of Chittenden County and its surrounding areas while continuing to provide for brides in the Mad River Valley. “Now we will have a full, professional production space,” Curtis continued. “We invested in a walk-in freezer and refrigerator, a professional dough sheeter and new ovens – which includes the very same oven that produced the delicious breads from the now-closed On The Rise Bakery. We plan to bake our hand-rolled bagels in that oven as well as an ongoing selection of breads. The difference is amazing.” “Will there be coffee?” you may ask. Absolutely! SWEET SIMONE’S will be serving up top-notch espresso drinks and drip coffee made from the beans of local roaster Awake. “We’ve done blind tastings with other local beans and Awake’s coffees always come out the crowd favorite. We love having the ability to work closely with our coffee roaster.” SWEET SIMONE’S is slated to officially open for business in January 2015. “We are looking forward to getting to know our new locals here in Richmond, as well as serving our cherished regulars in our new space,” Curtis said. SWEET SIMONE’S has been in operation since June 2012 at The Sweet Spot, 40 Bridge Street in Waitsfield. They are now moving to their new, bigger location - with the same street address no less - 40 Bridge Street, Richmond, VT.