1. thursday, february 19, 2009 www.theshorthorn.com | pulse 7B
FOOD
How
Sweet
It Is
Pantego family bakery
making that dough for
almost 35 years
By AlAnnA Quillen
The Shorthorn staff
As generations come and go,
a local bakery continues to serve
customers with its homemade
cakes, cookies and pies. The Red
Oven bakery on Miller Lane in
Pantego has watched the city grow
for almost 35 years.
“We’ve been very lucky to sur-
vive this long, and I think location
is a big part of it,” owner Mark
Chapman said. “Over the years,
we’ve built up a good relationship The Shorthorn: Monica Lopez
with the city and the customers.”
The bakery sells more than 300 Arlington resident Rebecca King and her son Christopher browse around Tuesday at The Red Oven in Pantego. King and her son were looking for ideas for his restaurant in
homemade goods like brownies, Vivian, S. D.
coffee cakes, chocolate éclairs, car-
rot cakes, vanilla wafers and cinna- the first thing they go to,” she said.
mon bread. All of these items cost Swygert, 71, has worked at the The Red Oven bakery
less than $10. The shop specializes bakery counter for 21 years and 2505 Miller Lane, Pantego
in red velvet cakes and cupcakes, a enjoys watching her customers Hours: 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m. Tuesday-
mix of cocoa, egg whites and flour grow up. Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday
topped with cream cheese icing. “We have had kids that used to Sample Menu:
“It is, by far, our biggest seller go to junior high nearby, and now 7” Red Velvet cake: $14.95
of everything,” said long-time em- they’re married and live in San Brownies: $6.25 a dozen
ployee Helen Swygert. Francisco,” she said. “When they Beef Enchilada meal: $13.75
She has even sent the red velvet come home for Christmas, they Chocolate éclair: $1.75
creations to a military customer always stop by to see if we’re still Carrot cake cupcake: 65 cents
stationed in Iraq. She sent the giving away cookies.” Red Velvet cupcake: 60 cents
cupcakes along with pastry tips The owner’s father opened the Pizza dough: $1.95
and icing in parchment paper. bakery in 1975 after he stopped Toppings: $1.50-$2.00
“He told me it was the biggest working for a large supermarket French bread rolls: $3 a dozen
hit,” she said. “Big army guys were company and decided to start his
icing their own cupcakes.” own business. Chapman’s father named the
The bakery also makes gradu- After earning his master’s de- bakery after the red-painted ovens
ation cakes for high schools and gree in library science at the Uni- seen through a large window that The Shorthorn: Monica Lopez
universities, including UTA, UT- versity of North Texas in 1974 used to be in the kitchen. In the
Austin and Texas A&M University. and working at a library for seven 1970s, the shop sold goods in Red velvet cake and cupcakes are The Red Oven’s specialty. The bakery also pre-
Customers can place orders for years, Chapman didn’t expect to one building and baked them in pares other dishes like enchiladas and stuffed bell peppers.
Valentine’s Day, Fourth of July, end up at a bakery. another, hauling them back and
Christmas, Halloween and Easter. He worked part-time for his forth across an alley.
A favorite among children, father’s business when it opened, Chapman’s father suffered
and he went full time in 1979. Over the years, many small years,” he said. “It’s a hard busi-
sample cupcakes, cookies and from Alzheimer’s disease and died bakeries have disappeared, and ness, but we’re still hanging in
other pastries are available at the “I didn’t even have an account- in October 2007 at age 81. He
ing degree,” he said. “I never the worsening economy makes it there.”
front counter, said 15-year em- stopped working at the bakery tougher for The Red Oven, Chap-
ployee Barbra Barrett. thought I would eventually run a during the last several years of
bakery, but I learned by the seat of man said. AlAnnA Quillen
“When the kids come in, that’s his life. “Bakeries like us usually last 25
my pants.” features-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu