The list of baked goods went on and on at the Schenectady Trading Company Saturday afternoon. Four of the areas local bakeries created a pop-up shop for residents to shop fresh baked goods.

Caroline Bardwell, the owner of the Schenectady Trading Company, came up with the idea to connect residents with locally owned businesses.

“Entrepreneurship is contagious, and when you’re around people with creative talent and ambition, it fuels other ideas and things,” Bardwell said.

The four businesses featured, Scotia Sweets, Nonna Anne’s Kitchen, Downtown Dough and Ppang Bakery, all have one thing in common. Each of these bakeries started during the pandemic.

“It’s been really rewarding to make people feel really good about themselves, and meet a bunch of interesting people when there isn’t a lot of time to connect,” Courtney Berlin, a partner in Downtown Dough said. “It’s been, interesting.”

Despite the unfortunate timing, it was the perfect opportunity for these baked goods. Because who can really say no to some sweet desserts.

“Baked goods make people feel better, so if you’re going to eat your feelings, might as well taste good, right?” Berlin said.

All four bakeries are women founded and ran. The shop owners say the opportunity to empower women owned businesses in Schenectady is a pretty sweet treat for all.

“I couldn’t be more proud, and none of us are competition because none of us have the same products,” Tracy Sweet, owner of Nonna Anne’s Kitchen, said.

“It’s awesome to be a women owned business,” Berlin said. It’s also awesome to see all these women striving and doing something they love to do.”

And people turned out in numbers to support these bakers. Forty-five minutes into the two-hour event, the majority of items were already sold out.

“It’s always good for a business to have good attendance at an event but you rest want for the people who are participating to have a positive experience.”