Bake Blue Bakery is planting itself on the Eastern Shore with a new brick-and-mortar storefront in Spanish Fort.

Bake Blue was founded by Debra Pennington and her son, Reed, who has autism. The name Bake Blue is a reference to both autism awareness and the great blue heron, which stands as a symbol of resilience and independence that embodies the values guiding their business.

Since starting the bakery, they have primarily worked out of their home-based delivery operation, but as their business quickly grew, they started looking to open the doors to a standalone store. Now, they will soon have their own establishment in Spanish Fort.

Their storefront will be located at 6580 Spanish Fort Blvd. in the same shopping center that businesses like Piggy Wiggly and Cheryl’s Cafe are in. Pennington said the bakery will have a new state-of-the-art kitchen installed and new items added to the menu such as cheesecakes, pies and a “cake of the day” that will be sold by the slice. She said all of their baked goods are nut-free due to Reed’s nut allergy.

“We opened last year in August with a cottage license, and we have just gotten so busy that we can not go on baking on our own,” Pennington said. “Our business has outgrown the space, so we’re looking forward to having commercial ovens that are more efficient and a lot more space to bake more quickly.”

Pennington told GCM she hopes that their new storefront will be open this summer, possibly as early as June.

The staff consists of other adults with disabilities, and Pennington said they are looking to hire as they work on getting their storefront up. Visit www.bakebluebakery.com for more information.