Bakeshop hits Bridge Street

The idea for the bake shop started with a dream to bring something sweet to Saratoga.

“I always wanted to open up my own bakery, and I saw a need in Saratoga for comfort food, and I saw the most perfect opportunity,” said Marie Christen, the owner of Sweet Marie’s Bakeshop, a new business located in Saratoga on Bridge Street next to Strong Tower Design.

Sweet Marie’s Bakeshop is a café-style restaurant featuring cupcakes, breakfast items, coffees, teas, cookies and other pastries.

Sweet Marie’s opened Aug. 3, revealing a colorful décor and large variety of cupcakes. From day one, Christensen said she has been working non-stop with the large demand for her cupcakes and other items.

“It came together, in the beginning very slow, but now so fast that I feel like I can’t keep up, but I will. I’ll do it,” she said.

Christen moved to Saratoga, from Austin, Texas to help with events Brush Creek Ranch was hosting. Christen later became sous chef for Brush Creek Ranch.

“I moved to beautiful Saratoga Wyoming from Austin Texas,” she said. “It’s been totally different but I love it. I don’t think I would ever move back to the city again.”

After working at Brush Creek Ranch for about three years, she decided to peruse her dream of opening a bakery.

“I had been planning it, I just didn’t know when it would happen,” she said.

Christen said the time span from leaving Brush Creek Ranch to opening the doors of her new bakery was about two months.

“Since I left Brush Creek I have been here 24/7,” she said. “I scraped popcorn ceiling, I painted everything, I picked up the floor from Denver and we put that in. ... ”

Christen said the decor of her shop has somewhat of a modern feel. Customers can also write comments on cupcake sheets and stick them to designated parts of the wall, which gives the bakery a personal feel as well.

Sweet Marie’s is a good addition to Saratoga, said Stacy Crimmins, executive director for the Saratoga-Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“It definitely fills a need,” she said. “There are a lot of people who are anticipating this because they miss having a bakery in town.”

The bakery is also a benefit to all of Carbon County, said Beth Hunt, executive director for the Rawlins-Carbon County Chamber of Commerce, who was at the grand opening for Sweet Marie’s.

“I think it is a very valuable business in Carbon County. Marie has a great, creative idea, and you can see already (it’s working),” Hunt said.

Marie didn’t have much time for herself opening day. Even in celebrating, the new bakery had customers filtering in wanting a cupcake, coffee or another item Sweet Marie offers.

Before Christen sought a degree in culinary arts, she pursued a path to be a veterinarian.

She graduated from University of Texas with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and later persued a degree in culinary arts.

Christen attended Le Cordon Bleu in Austin to get a degree in culinary arts.

“I went to culinary school because I loved cooking, I loved decorating cakes and I wanted to learn more, so I specialized in patisserie and baking,” she said.

After getting her degree, she began working in a cupcake and ice cream shop in Austin. The job led her to be an assistant on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars in 2012.

Christen also helped bake items to be photographed for Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, she said.

Now that she has her own bake shop, Christen said the community has welcomed her with open arms.

Christen said Mitch Bangert, a board member for the Saratoga-Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce, was one of many who helped with promotion and even helped her get an office in the Platte Valley Community Center.

Christen also thanked Town and Country Realty, Parrie Properties, Conna and Landon McGuire and several others for being supportive of her bakery

“Since the beginning of my idea, so many people in town have helped me out to make my dream come true,” she said.