BUCYRUS – A Bucyrus bakery and coffee shop is “sweetening up” the offerings with new bakery items and extending its hours of operation to better serve the public.

Flour & Whisk Bakery, 416 S. Sandusky Ave., which is already known around town for its fresh baked donuts and Beca House brand coffee, is also excited to debut a lunch menu featuring homemade soups and sandwiches starting Thursday.

“We’re just super excited to get things kicked off on Thursday,” said Paula Herbert, who owns the business with her husband, Bob.  “The community has welcomed us so much and business has been a blessing.  It’s been great so far.”

Herbert said a different homemade soup or chili will be the special each day.  In addition, a variety of sandwiches on fresh baked white artisan buns will be available for the lunch crowd, along with an assortment of hot and cold beverages.

The bakery and coffee shop, Herbert said, is also pleased to introduce “java chip” as its newest flavor of beverages, which can be ordered hot, iced, or frozen in both 16- and 20-ounce sizes.  “That will be a very big draw,” she said.

In the bakery cases, crullers, donut holes, and fresh baked cinnamon rolls have been added to the tempting offerings after input from the public, Herbert said.  “People have been really asking for them, so we went ahead and started making them.”

Seasonal sweets for fall such as pumpkin muffins and donuts continue to be customer favorites, Herbert said, as well as “Buckeye” donuts, cinnamon glazed twists, and a variety of “themed” cookies, cakes, and cupcakes for the holidays year-round.

The business, which also operates a convenient drive-thru window, opened two years ago but was purchased by the Herberts in September.  It is now open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 12 noon.

“We’re just really looking forward to a lot of new things to come and adding more stuff in the future for this bakery,” said Herbert, who is celebrating with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday.  “We’re taking baby steps to make other great things happen too.”