It’s a dream come true for Tess Wofford and she is jazzed over the opportunity. Wofford is the owner/operator of the newly opened Oso Sweet Bakery in the Barn Shops in Chadds Ford Township.
“I’m so incredibly excited. My dream for a long time has been to own my own bakery,” she said
The 2018 Unionville High School graduate finished her five-semester bakery and pastry program at the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio, Texas on July 15 and started looking at the site of the former Chad’s Café the same day.
She said a friend had sent her a Facebook post about the Barn Shops wanting someone to take over the café site. Her father told her to follow up and check the site to what it would take to start a business there.
“He said, ‘Go for it. It sounds like a great opportunity,’” she explained.
When asked whether she’s concerned about opening the business during a pandemic, Wofford was optimistic.
“In times like this,” she said, “community is incredibly important. After a long time at home and being nervous, I decided we need to move forward while staying safe and positive.”
As with previous proprietors at that location, one of the goals is to make the Barn Shops in general and the bakery in particular, a place where people can hang out, meet up and chat.
“I want people to feel welcome here. I want to create a gathering space. Growing up, I would have loved a place to hang out with other people,” she said.
While that sense of community is important to her, Wofford had to admit that, even after living in Birmingham Township for 13 years, she had spent little time in the Barn Shops. Now, she said, “I’m excited to be here. It’s adorable.”
The menu at Oso Sweet is basic right now: cookies, scones, cupcakes and brownies along with some savory dishes like bacon, egg and cheese, and sautéed mushrooms with goat cheese. The bakery also sells soups.
She envisions the menu expanding over time but, possibly reflecting on her own personal tastes, “Sometimes there’s nothing better than a meal that consists of coffee and a cookie,” Wofford said.
Oso Sweet Bakery is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the week, except for Fridays. The shop operates a split shift on Friday, 8 a.m. to noon, then 5 to 9 p.m. Live music will be featured Friday evenings. A grand opening is planned for Friday, Sept. 4.
Oso Sweet also has a small scavenger hunt for kids. Find the three bears and win a mini scone. “Oso” is Spanish for bear and the shop uses the bear as its logo. Wofford said it was her brother who, while studying in Argentina and learning Spanish, phoned her and said that if she opened a bakery, it had to be called Oso Sweet.
For more information, including a full menu, visit the bakery’s website at https://www.ososweet.shop/
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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