Baking , Books , and Beyond
THE SWEET SPOT
daughters , Julia , Petra , and Alina first left our home , he was my best buddy . I had a major connection with him , and we liked to call him ‘ The Depot Wanderer .’”
According to Callo , Willoughby would frequently escape from their home in downtown Manchester Center , and he would frolic in the surrounding streets . “ People would always post on the local social media forum about finding a friendly , yellow Labrador Retriever wandering about ,” says Callo . “ Eventually , there was a whole thread on the online forum called ‘ Where ’ s Willoughby ?’ it became a long-running joke that always made us smile .” Callo honors Willoughby ’ s memory and spirit to this day by wandering out to her customers ’ cars and going to meet their dogs . She adds : “ One of my team members makes delicious dog biscuits , and we always leave water outside during the summertime so that the pups can stay well-hydrated .”
The family ties at Willoughby ’ s Depot Eatery go well beyond the menu . Callo ’ s daughter Alina runs the establishment with her . Alina ’ s twin , Petra , also helps out at the shop and is a fantastic baker . “ Baking is a multi-generational tradition in my family . I grew up baking with both of my grandmothers , and I ’ m thankful to work with my daughters to carry the tradition forward here at Willoughby ’ s . We ’ re fully capable of filling in should the baking staff ever need a day off .”
Callo ’ s eldest daughter , Julia , who currently resides in Utah , handles their social media . Tantalizing videos of donuts and sandwiches in their final stages of preparation are complemented by a humorous video of Callo bouncing around on a pogo stick outside of the entrance . “ We like to have fun here ,” says Callo . “ The joy that we bring to the work comes out in the baking , and we want to give that joy to every customer who comes through our doors .”
Baking , Books , and Beyond
In addition to a broad assortment of donuts , and pastries , Willoughby ’ s offers seasonal pies , such as fruit pies , and traditional holiday pies . Callo also sells bags of delicious Scottish shortbread cookies , which celebrate her
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