On January 28, 2023, local business owners Jeff and Ali Townsend said their final farewells to their customers at Baked, a gourmet cookie shop, after nearly two years in a brick and mortar in downtown Bowling Green. Originally a hobby baker, Jeff was eager to enter the small business world in February 2021. Little did he and his partner know, they would have to jump over some fierce obstacles to continue serving the city of Bowling Green. 

Countless small businesses have been lost since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and on January 18, we learned that Baked was no exception. The Townsends released a statement via social media announcing the closure of their beloved bakery, and immediately they were met with support from their customers. Some expressed gratitude to the owners for their time serving Bowling Green, and others shared heartwarming memories associated with the signature item.

Known for their unique gourmet cookies, Baked was a classic small town bakery with a twist. Their menu featured the classic chocolate chip, sugar, and oatmeal cookies, but for those who wanted a little more adventure, Townsend created many mouth-watering flavors for customers to choose from. Their most famous, dubbed the ‘OG’ Lemon Drop, stayed true to its roots with perfectly balanced lemon dough and white chocolate chips throughout; on the more unique side of the spectrum, the Spicy Dark Chocolate adds a warm kick with cinnamon, chili, and cayenne.  

We sat down with Maggie Jolly, a GHS alumni who worked with Townsend through the majority of Baked’s time. One of the first to learn about the bakery’s closure, she supported Jeff’s decision. “He had just gotten really burnt out. I told him, I am very proud of you for making that distinction and understanding when you’re burnt out, instead of burning out even more.” She explained, “I think it’s a really easy thing to do.”

One of Jolly’s favorite parts of working at Baked was being involved in community outreach. The Boys and Girls club would regularly stop by for sweet treats, and when a disastrous tornado hit town last December, the owners were quick to act. Maggie told us about one of her favorite memories at Baked, which was during this time, “When the tornado happened last December, our entire store was filled with donations. We had a ton of stuff- baby food, diapers, canned goods, and things like that. It was awesome. It was crazy to see people just come in with bags full of stuff and say ‘take it wherever you need it.’”