SPRING VALLEY — Just weeks after Bark’s Spring Valley Bakery’s April 1 opening at S323 McKay Ave., the stop has already become a community favorite.

The opening week was self-described as “crazy,” with donuts practically flying off the shelves. The successful week caused Bark’s to already alter its hours to 7-11 a.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays, or until products run out.
“[Community reception was] very positive, they’re glad for it to be opened,” Owner and Baker Richard Bark said. “It was closed for a couple years.”

Bark comes from a line of bakers. His grandfather and father owned a bakery in Baldwin, and his grandfather’s brother owned bakeries in Glenwood City and Menomonie. When Bark saw the building for sale in Spring Valley, he saw it as the perfect opportunity for a “semi-retirement” project.
“It’s to carry on the family tradition. It can be stressful at times, it can be fun at times,” Bark said. “It was for sale and I was available. This is my semi-retirement project, very loosely on the semi.”

Bark’s offers cake donut flavors of chocolate glaze, glaze, cinnamon sugar, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, cinnamon powdered sugar and plain. Raised donuts are plain, chocolate glazed, glazed, white with sprinkles, bird’s nest lemon, bird’s nest raspberry, bismarks (lemon, raspberry and custard), Persian (cinnamon honey bun), Honey Bun, twisted, cinnamon sugar, granulated sugar and Long Johns (white with sprinkles, coconut and crunch). Cookie options are peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip and M&M. Last but not least, bread choices are homestyle white, whole wheat, cracked wheat, graham and rye.

“Hopeful to expand a little bit more as the time goes on,” Bark said.

Buns are one item the bakery may potentially add to the menu in the future. All the donut flavors are not necessarily made every single day, but can be ordered ahead of time.

Orders can also be made over the phone at 715-778-5904 or over email at barksspringvalleybakery@gmail.com. The bakery currently does not accept credit/debit cards. Before tax, cake donuts cost $1 and raised $1.50. Day-old donuts come in at half the price.

To daily announcements, visit their Facebook page at “Bark’s Spring Valley Bakery.”