A new bakery sweetens up Bel-Nor

Open since February, Mama's Sweet Treats in Bel-Nor is quickly gaining a reputation for delicious breads, muffins and other baked delights.

There probably aren’t too many Hillsboro residents saying, “Hey, I think I’ll open a bakery in Bel-Nor!” But lucky for all of us in NoCo, that’s exactly what Kelly and Rich Barker announced late last year.

After 18 months of selling fresh-baked bread out of their house, and one successful season at the Overland Farmers Market, the Barkers decided to move their business and their six children to Bel-Nor, where they bought a home and opened up a cozy bakery and lunch spot known as Mama’s Sweet Treats and Breads Bakery Cafe.

Mama's warm and welcoming dining area

“Did some people think we were crazy? Absolutely,” says Kelly, who got her start baking pound cakes for Straub’s. “But what we were looking for when we built a house in Hillsboro is exactly what we’ve found here.”

Since Mama’s opened on February 8, Kelly has been amazed by the outpouring of support from local community members, some of whom have gone out of their way to help promote her business. “So many people want us to succeed. It’s been really wonderful,” she says. “And yet there are still plenty of folks who haven’t discovered us.”

Located in the same historic building as Spiro’s restaurant on Natural Bridge, Mama’s sells sweet and savory breads, pies, cakes, bagels, muffins and cinnamon buns as big as your head. They also serve soup, baked egg souffles, pizza and sandwiches, and everything is made fresh, from scratch, every single day.

Taste-testers Sydney, Emma and Chloee

“The thing people need to know about Kelly is that she’s very particular,” says Rich, who splits his time between the bakery and his own sales business downstairs. “She only uses the best ingredients, and she would never serve anything unless it’s just right. Quality is extremely important to her.”

For taste-testing, the Barkers rely on a panel of equally picky experts: their kids, who are all home-schooled. “If the kids like it, I know we’re ok,” Kelly says. So far, they’ve given a thumbs up to everything on the menu, as well as hand-dipped ice cream, which Mama’s will sell during the summer.

“With UMSL so nearby, we’re trying to appeal to young adults,” Kelly says. “As it gets warmer, we plan to have live music twice a month. We’re also tweaking our lunch offerings to include more sandwiches, and now we have homemade pizza every Friday.”

So what’s the most popular item at Mama’s? Definitely the bread, Kelly says. “We sell out pretty fast, but I’m always willing to make more. The way I look at it, we moved here and we’re here to stay, so I’ll do just about anything to make my customers happy.”

Mama’s Sweet Treats and Breads is located at 8400 Natural Bridge, 63121. Cash and checks only. Hours are Tuesday-Friday 7am-4:30pm and weekends 7am-2:30pm.

For regular menu updates and specials, visit the bakery’s Facebook page.

Behind this old insurance company awning hides one of NoCo's newest gems.

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