As bakery owners know, the life of a baker can be a strenuous one, particularly when you are just getting your business rolling. This is the success story of B&C Bakeshop by Morgan. Located in a picturesque city (Marysville, Ohio) sandwiched between Columbus, Ohio, to the east and the striking limestone Ohio Caverns to the west, B&C Bakeshop by Morgan is making its own mark as a go-to bakery specializing in custom-decorated sugar cookies for a blossoming crowd of devoted fans.

There is something quite universal about cookies, but owner Morgan Ingle sets hers apart with individualized creations for customers’ special events and celebrations. She crafts 20 dozen to 60 dozen a week of custom cookies – royal icing cookies personalized for client’s birthdays, weddings, corporate events, and more. And all decorating is done by hand.

“I'm usually here Sunday and up until about Tuesday night to get all of those done. And then I'm working still while I'm open with the bakery and the latter half of the week,” Ingle says.

For inspiration, customers send her photos and party colors that they're going to use – if it's a wedding, the bridal colors – or baby nursery themes. Then she creates a vision board for each personalized design.

“So if  I was going to have that as part of my set, I'll draw out a circle, and if I'm going with a baby theme, I'll write baby on it, and then I'll have mint green or something just so that I can visually picture all of the cookies on paper and make sure that I'm going to like it and it's all going to mesh together.”

She owns more than a thousand cookie cutters but also customizes her designs. “They might not always look exactly like what a car looks like, but yes, I draw them out.”

Profitable partnership

Offering a valuable and helpful hand, Hobart partnered with B&C Bakeshop by Morgan as of last year. Ingle relies heavily on her mixer and oven. “I think a lot of people are shocked at my refrigeration and freezer space because I try to do everything fresh,” she says. “I don't store a lot of stuff. Everything is made fresh.”

B&C Bakeshop by Morgan occupies an 1,800-square-foot space in Marysville, where she depends on her Hobart HL200 Legacy+ mixer for heavy-duty work. The 20-quart mixer features Hobart’s + PLUS System, VFDadvantage variable frequency drive, maximum capacity overheat protection, reinforced planetary shaft system, and triple interlock system with MagnaLock technology, + Shift-on-the-Fly™ controls, and 15-minute SmartTimer™ -- among other features.

“It is amazing – everything about it,” Ingle says. “I use it every single day.”

The owner of B&C Bakeshop by Morgan started her company in September 2019 and moved to a brick-and-mortar location in Marysville, Ohio, in March 2024. They specialize in custom decorated sugar cookies, but they have expanded to a full bakery with a variety of desserts and baked goods.

“Opening the storefront has allowed me to gain relationships with bigger businesses, which has been nice,” she says. “And then I'm able to fulfill those by having the mixer that I have, because working out of my home with my small little KitchenAid didn't cut it. So, I have done a lot more corporate events I'm able to partner with.

“Next month I'm partnering with the Union County Board of Developmental Disabilities, and I'm able to actually donate and work with them, which is just going to bring me a lot more exposure in our community. And I'm happy to be able to do that. I've been able to do a lot more custom orders that are in larger quantities. I have a dentist that I'm doing cookies for that's 35 dozen, which in the past would've been pretty hard for me to do with everything else I'm doing. But I'm able to make that happen now with the space that I have.”

Custom cookie orders come with a minimum of two dozen. “And that is because to do the icings and all of the different colors that goes into one set. It can take me anywhere from an hour to two hours to make colors. I like to make it worth my time to have at least two dozen.”

To place a custom order, customers specify the date needed, type of event, and how many would be needed. There is a two-dozen minimum for custom orders. Once orders are received, Ingle responds via email within two business days. At that point, customers can send inspirational photos and design requests. Once designs are pinned down, Ingle sends a quote and then an invoice to book. 

Inspirational ideas

“I've always loved baking, always grew up baking with my mom and my family, and I love the artistic side of it,” she exclaims.

Ingle worked as a dental hygienist for 10 years and ultimately started her cake decorating business out of her home. “It just took off from there. I started doing orders for a couple of friends, and then word of mouth and social media followed, and customers kept coming back. I grew the home business and was able to then open the retail side just last year.

“My husband (Bret) works in commercial real estate, so he was a big help with it all – finding the location and doing a lot of the little things that need to be done, and then working really hard.”

Her bakery store is open every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

“I'm here working every other day because I have anywhere between 20 dozen up to 60 dozen a week of the custom cookies, which are the royal icing cookies.”

Her business all started with royal icing cookies, but she since ventured into a broader product line.

“It changes weekly on what I have, and I usually go off of a lot of what my tastes are and the customers. I've had great feedback, but then I also factor in what my customers are coming in for and what they want. So, I formulate a menu each week that's different.

“There is always a cupcake on the menu, as well as Buckeyes (an Ohio special). I'll have a cheesecake every week, and giant oatmeal cream pies. They're gigantic buttercream cookies. I'll also have a brownie every week, and I always have chocolate chip cookies. I do scones and cinnamon rolls.”

Customer satisfaction

Customers are elated to see other options when they come in. “I have a lot of returning customers that come every single week faithfully, and they're loving it – loving the opportunity to have a place where they can come in. They like that they can come in weekly and get what they want.”

The outlets where her bakery products are available continue to grow, now including a gourmet grocery store in nearby Troy, Ohio.

“My husband is from Troy, Ohio, and so he knows the owners of the market, and they were looking for somebody to put in cookies,” Ingle explains. “They were getting a lot of recommendations for my cookies, so they reached out to me and asked. They've had a great customer response.”

To keep all operations of the growing business run smoothly, Ingle receives valuable help from her family. Her mother, Joan, comes in and helps with the baking.

“She's the one I grew up baking with. She comes and helps me do all the baking for the baked goods that are going to go out at the end of the week. And then she also does customer service upfront, and then my mother-in-law (Kim) comes and helps and does customer service on Thursdays. And then my husband works from the bakery on Friday and helps me do customer service on Fridays. And this allows me to be able to be in the back and continue working the whole time I'm here.”

In addition, the B and C in the bakery’s name are, of course, named for family members: her sons, Brennan, who is 11, and Carson, who is 7.

“They think it's pretty cool. Because Marysville is a pretty small community, all of his teachers know, and they stop in. So, it's a lot of fun.”

Her goals include increasing volume and being open more days, in addition to expanding her grocery store customers in addition to Haren’s Market in Troy Ohio.

Being active on social media also helps spread the good word.

“The people who follow me on social media, they do know that the products are mine. That's why they like to carry my product as well, because those people will come in specifically for my cookies, but then also buy other stuff while they're in there. That's the relationship that I do love to have.”