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Date: 7/11/2022
MONSON – What started as a side-gig has turned into much more for Danielle Dailey, owner of “Twilight Treats,” a licensed home bakery in Monson. About six years ago, Dailey decided to open Twilight Treats, although her passion for baking goes back much further.
Dailey told Reminder Publishing that she has always worked in education. Seventeen years ago, Dailey and her family moved from Rhode Island to Monson. “I have always done cakes on the side, and I thought ‘why don’t I get licensed and do one or two cakes a month to sell,’” said Dailey.
As the orders started to increase, Dailey shared that the “side-gig” quickly became her full-time job.
With kids at home, on top of work, Dailey said she often found herself baking and decorating either early in the morning or late at night. This is where the inspiration for the name “Twilight Treats” came from.
Baking an array of goods all on her own, Dailey noted that most items are made to order, with the most common orders being custom cakes, cupcakes and cookies. During the holidays, she said pies are popular, along with chocolate covered Oreos and pretzels that can be enjoyed at any occasion.
Over the past year, Dailey shared that she has seen a growth in people looking for gluten free and keto desserts. As these desserts can be hard to find, Twilight Treats can fulfill a customer’s request.
In addition to the items made to order, Dailey said she will often do presales. For instance, in advance of a holiday, she will post options online for people to select from.
Depending on the item, cost differs. Dailey assured that she works with whatever budget people have and aims to make affordable cake options.
She explained that most customers do pick up their orders at her house, although with larger events she will make a delivery. Dailey said she has done events such as weddings, however, she prefers the smaller events. “I like doing custom cakes,” she shared.
When baking something as a specialty cake, Dailey said there are a lot of hours invested in the process. “I’m particular and detail oriented,” she added.
Prior to baking any treats, Dailey said she tries to gain some background on what the occasion is, who it is for and even asks clients to send in some inspirational photos. While many customers have been going to her for years, she said they trust her and will provide a more “general idea” on what they are looking for.
She went on to say that all her clientele is by word of mouth. Dailey noted that a lot of her customers reside in Monson and the surrounding towns, although there are occasional customers from the Springfield area and Connecticut.
For Dailey, she said, “[My] biggest takeaway is that I like having a good relationship with customers. It’s nice to know people more personally than going to a store and just buying a cake.”
She continued, “[That’s a perk] of living in a small town. You know customers more.”
Twilight Treats can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TwilightTreats or on their website at https://www.twilighttreats.net/.