By: Allison Millspaugh & Stephen McCollum

Amazing Glaze, the new bakery owned by Jessica Sharp in the retail space at The Old Town Villas on the Square, was born from the sweet taste of victory. 

Sharp was active in 4-H for many years. She was also an avid viewer of the TV show, “Cake Boss.” She told her mother she wanted to shift from sewing and crafts to baking, with an emphasis on cake decorating. It didn’t take her long to convert her mom to the idea.

The cake that essentially gave birth to her bakery? It was a baby shower theme, with a white base, green, blue, and yellow stripes and a molding of baby feet, safety pins, and pacifiers, and topped off with a crane carrying a baby cradled in a blanket. 

She won first place at the county fair and brought home a blue ribbon from the Indiana State Fair. Talent for the craft? Check. Ambition to follow through? Check. But the transition from a one-off competition to sustaining a business is, Sharp discovered, a process that has many stages and some unexpected turns. 

She worked out of her home kitchen at first, making baked goods for special occasions and fulfilling individual requests. When volume grew to the point that a small business seemed feasible, Sharp and her husband, Jordan, weighed options. It was tempting to think about occupying space in an older building, to capture the charm of a small town on the rebound. 

Then developer Joe Peacock announced The Old Town Villas project at the corner of the Square, and that it would include retail space at street level. 

“We decided that the upkeep and upgrading of an older space was going to drain time and resources from the focus on the bakery,” she says. “The new commercial space will allow us to stay focused on the product at this crucial moment of launch.”

Launch into a new business space sometimes meets schedule delays like rockets into outer space. Sharp hoped to be open months ago, but the pandemic changed that. Construction work stopped for a bit. There also have been challenges with the supply chain. And public health protocols, like wearing masks, while not prohibitive to business do pose an additional challenge to Sharp.

“I really depend upon my sense of smell while baking,” she says. “I rely on it more than timers. We will use masks in the store and ask customers to also because we want to help get past the threat of the coronavirus. I’m disappointed that for a while I won’t be able to see customers’ full expressions, but we will add this challenge to our desire to give great service.”

In addition to the creation of as many as half a dozen new jobs, like other new businesses in the community, Amazing Glaze has plans to be engaged beyond the boundary of the store. They will sponsor a Youth League soccer team. There will be a discount for first responders and veterans. As members of Lighthouse Church, they are participating in the “Drink Coffee, Do Good” program through Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee. A portion of each coffee purchase is donated to community development projects in Rwanda.

In addition to the traditional carry-out option, Amazing Glaze offers a drive-thru window, a conference room for private gatherings or parties, and table seating on site. Anticipation has been building as Sharp reports a few prospective customers have actually tried to use the drive-thru!

Sharp will continue to take orders for private parties and meetings like birthdays and graduations. She encourages those customers to visit her at the bakery to discuss specifics so she can best serve their expectations and needs. 

If ever since you heard about Amazing Glaze you couldn’t stop humming that iconic hymn, “Amazing Grace,” you’re on key. 

“My first inclination was Sugarshack but some research took that out of consideration,” Sharp explains. “My mom has been a big inspiration ever since that first winning cake and ‘Amazing Grace’ is one of her favorites. For a whole day, the tune kept playing in my head and then I had that creative spark—Amazing Glaze! It’s original and personal and suits my dream.”

How sweet the sound and now how sweet the taste. Will Sharp still have time to watch “Cake Boss” and dream of meeting Buddy Valastro in person? You can stop by Amazing Glaze and ask her while you purchase a treat from Blackford’s blue ribbon baker.

Current plans are for a soft opening in early August. Hours are Monday-Friday 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to noon, or whenever the doughnuts run out!

To find out more, call (765)347-8532 or visit www.amazingglazebakery.com.