Dot’s Homemade Bakery stirs up sweet success

One way to spread some holiday cheer is with custom-decorated homemade Christmas Cookies from Dot’s.

From fun and whimsical birthday cakes to anniversaries or any special occasion, Dot’s can create a beautiful work of art for your special someone.

In the summer of 2016, a dream was taking shape for Whitney Earlywine Farrar as she and her husband Zech got busy renovating two rooms in the Old Ewing School at 210 Euclid Ave. in Ewing, Ky.

Those former elementary classrooms would soon become the home of Dot’s Homemade Bakery and Café and in February of this year, the Farrar’s opened for business.

The name comes from Whitney’s grandmother, the late Cleta Mae “Dot” Earlywine.

“I spent a lot of time with my grandmother and it was by her side that I learned to bake and cook,” Whitney said.

Dot’s specializes in designing and creating custom decorated sugar cookies for all occasions as well as a variety of baked goods and provides event catering.

“We serve up homemade happiness in the form of baked goods, lunch service, and private event catering,” Whitney said. “We bake every single item here on site, nothing frozen, nothing pre-made. Dot’s prides itself on being a custom order bakery where you can find edible, homemade artwork to share with the ones you love most,” Whitney said. “Since opening the storefront Zech and I both have been working full-time in the bakery, which is something I had always dreamed of, but never thought would actually be possible. I’m blown away by the support our community and the surrounding areas have shown us. Our business hasn’t been limited to just local orders though, we have shipped cookies to California, Washington, Arizona, Ohio, Tennessee, and most recently Washington, D.C. Juggling a business, with 2 children, one of whom started Kindergarten this year, and a home life has been challenging, but I’m blessed to have the support of my family and none of it would be possible without my parents, Rob and Leigh Ann Earlywine. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t absolutely love the work I do. I want to thank everyone who visits, makes a purchase, or spreads the word about us because doing so allows me to continue living my dream and thrive while doing so,” Whitney said.

Being a part of the community is something Whitney feels strongly about and participates in as many hometown events as possible.

Dot’s will host its 2nd annual Trick or Treat Trail and Vendor Event, Sunday, Oct. 29 from 2 p.m. -6 p.m. and will host Breakfast with Santa, Milk and Cookies with Mrs. Clause during the Ewing Christmas Fest on Dec. 2. A time frame for the Santa and Mrs. Clause events will be announced soon.

It’s tis the season to be busy for Dot’s Homemade Bakery and the request for holiday goodies have already started pouring in.

“As the holidays approach, we are seeing weekends book up very quickly for custom orders and have decided to focus more on that side of the business for the time being. We will continue filling those orders, offering dinner/delivery pick-ups which are posted on our Facebook page on Mondays and lunch delivery to businesses on Fridays. We will also be launching a Cookie of the Month Club for our customers who would like a box of our yummy cookies delivered to them or a loved one on a regular basis. Breakfast and Lunch have been put on hold for now, but we will continue to have bakery case items available. Call ahead for any special requests or to see what we have available in the case,” Whitney added.

What does the future hold for the Farrar family and their locally owned and operated business?

“I’ve thought about future goals for the business and one of them includes a Dot’s Cookie Truck, once the kids are old enough to help. We are always looking for ways to spread the cookie love and I want my kids involved to show them it’s possible to provide for your family and have fun while doing so. I want them to chase their passions and figure out a way to make it profitable,” Whitney said.

The hours for Dot’s Homemade Bakery and Café are Thursday and Friday’s from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

To call ahead for any special request or to see what items are available in the bakery case, you can contact Dot’s at 606-748-0257 or visit online at Facebook.com/dotshomemade.