We were heading to visit family in the area for dinner and were asked to bring dessert. While…read moredriving through Stayton, my wife remembered The Lovin Oven from years ago. We also recalled that there was some connection to Gerry Frank's Konditorei in Salem, which immediately caught our interest. After doing a little research, we discovered there's a deep and fascinating history linking the two businesses. The Lovin Oven began in 1983, when founder Doreen Helmemn operated the bakery out of her home. In 1993, the business expanded into a small storefront in downtown Stayton after being purchased by Mike and Valerie Schultz. Mike, who was formerly a logger, was personally taught cake decorating by the original founder, an origin story that adds to the bakery's charm and authenticity. One of the most interesting details we learned is that The Lovin Oven is the primary baker for Gerry Frank's Konditorei in Salem, a partnership that dates back to the 1980s. That relationship grew even stronger in 2017, when the Schultzes became co-owners of the Konditorei. Many people enjoying desserts at high-end restaurants throughout the region may not realize that their cakes were baked in Stayton. The Lovin Oven is especially well known for its Champagne Raspberry cake, Marionberry cheesecake, and an impressive variety of gourmet bars and cookies. Their menu also includes cakes, cheesecakes, cinnamon rolls, brownies, cupcakes, and more, something for just about every dessert preference. The bakery itself is housed in an industrial-style building that includes the production bakery, a storefront, and a small seating area where you can enjoy your treats on site. The outside is a unique with a black painted brick exterior. The customer facing area of the inside is industrial. We picked up a selection of cupcakes to take to dinner and were quickly back on the road. The cupcakes were a hit, everyone loved them, and they disappeared fast. It felt great to share something local with such a rich backstory. Overall, this was a fantastic experience, and we're glad we stopped. If you find yourself passing through Stayton or looking for high-quality desserts in the Willamette Valley, The Lovin Oven is absolutely worth checking out.

Stopped in after seeing some fun videos online. Wasn't in the mood for cake - instead, we got a…read morebrownie and a cookie. They were ok - not bad, but nothing to write home about either. Staff were friendly.

Absolutely obsessed with this place. We live 1 block from it and I could go every single day and…read morenot get sick of them. Easily the best bakery we've lived walking distance to. Their croissant dough is perfect and used in multiple different pastries. They have a large variety of pastries and change flavors often, keeping it interesting every time you go in.

These pastries are fresh and tasty, i enjoy a coffee with a fresh baked good to start my weekend…read moremorning. Tons of options and seating for everyone, i love taking my friends here!

Hands-down the best place to get pizza in the area always super friendly and will always recommend…read moreit to friends and family

Incredible food and service! The owner clearly takes pride in their product and customer service. I…read morenever miss a chance to go here and judging by the line to order, neither do others.

We've been coming here for cupcakes over eight years. So soft and moist. Kids like the one with…read morefruit filling or vanilla. Prices have gone up since Covid but not astronomically so I still feel like these are affordable. I like vanilla and red velvet the best

I had a really great experience at this small cafe/bakery! All the staff I interacted with were…read morekind, helpful, and knowledgeable about their products. I ended up trying a BBQ pork kolache and Thai chicken salad. The kolache bun was great with a sweet and yeasty bread surrounding sweet and savory pork with barbecue sauce. I loved the salad - the flavor of the dressing was phenomenal. I also bought an iced chai with an added espresso shot - this was pretty standard but nothing to write home about. They also had a tiny cupcake as a sample when I came in which was a very fun surprise. Overall I don't have any complaints - I wasn't sure what the ambiance would be like but I would say this is more bakery/quick sit down then 'coffee shop' so while it had plenty of seating I probably wouldn't come here to work/read or hang out for a very extended length of time but would be perfect for a quick lunch, pick me up, or sweet treat :)

The current proprietor, very capable and energetic, purchased this business from the former…read moreJefferson Bakehouse about seven months ago. I've been in twice to try things, but the timing hasn't been right to sample the evening entrees like pizza. The owner has an excellent temperament and is more conscientious about keeping customers apprised of developments, via the internet and social media, than is usual for small businesses.

Had to give this place a try since it was rated by one YouTuber as "the best Cinnamon Roll in Salem…read more(area)". This is our first place on that recommended list and so far I'd say we agree--It was a great cinnamon roll! I'm definitely glad I didn't get it with the additional icing on top as the glaze they provided was sweet enough for our tastebuds. Don't blink or you'll miss this small Jefferson establishment. We drove right past it the first time. Enjoy!

Made a great cake for our gender reveal! I'll definitely be calling them again :)…read more I loved working with Nicole!

Got an Amazing Lemon Keto Cheesecake from here! You couldn't even tell it wasn't a regular one!!!…read moreDelicious! Will definitely order again!

Went here for some baked goods and came to learn that this place has 20 different teas! The tea…read moreselection is here and has wonderful variety of desserts. I tried two different cookies and several things to take home to share with my family. We found the lemon ricotta cheese cake and tiramisu cake was the best. The bakeshop had a nice interior and overall very accessible. The person who helped with service was very nice and had a wonderful conversation about the teas in the shop. I tried the black wolf puerh tea.

Stopped by post-lunch on our way back from the falls. Such a cute coffee and pastry shop with a lot…read moreof variety. I'm more of a tea girl and was super fascinated by the tea options and how detailed each selection is fruity, floral, spicy, you name it. I also like that you can mix syrups. The staff were the sweetest and will absolutely give you great recommendations. The drink was refreshing, and there's a nice sit-down area to chill before heading back out to the street. The cookies and pastries looked great too, but we were way too full to try anything. For sure will stop by again if we're in town.

My fiancé and I were looking for a bakery to make our wedding cake. We approached Sewell Sweets…read morewith excitement -- submitted an inquiry, made follow-up calls, sent emails, and confirmed directly with the owner before visiting. What followed was pure frustration. When we arrived, the employee had no idea about the cake box listed on the website and offered to call the owner when we raised the pricing discrepancy. While helping us, she was also audibly complaining about another customer, saying she "couldn't even wait 45 seconds." We ended up paying more than the advertised price and were only told after the fact that in-store pricing differs. All four cakes went in the trash. They were dry, stale, and one tasted so off that we couldn't take more than one bite. $48 for product that was completely inedible. When we called to report it, the employee showed no empathy, made no apology, and had a noticeable attitude. When the owner called back, I was calm and polite. I was hoping for basic acknowledgment, given we had planned to spend significantly more on a wedding cake there. Instead, he led with camera footage, misrepresented what I had said, declined my offer to return the cakes, and ended the call with nothing but silence and "I'll take it into consideration." Maybe it was an off day. These things happen, even at great businesses. But a great business apologizes, asks questions, and tries to make it right. None of that happened here. What makes this experience stand out isn't just one bad interaction -- it's the pattern. Unanswered emails. Misinformed staff. Inedible products. Dismissive phone calls. And then a same-day public response crafted to discredit rather than reflect. Do yourself a favor and find a bakery that actually values your business, your event, and basic human decency. Sewell Sweets is not it. --------------- UPDATE: The owner has replied to this review on Google, and while I have no interest in a public argument, several claims in that response are inaccurate and anyone reading deserves the full picture. We were not attempting a random walk-in tasting. An inquiry was submitted early-to-mid March, a follow-up call was made on March 18th, a follow-up email sent the same day, and we spoke to the owner on March 19th -- during which he confirmed he had seen our emails, that our date was available, and that he would be in touch. I told him we would be coming in the next day, exactly as his employee had instructed. We followed every step we were given. The owner did not apologize multiple times. He opened by citing camera footage -- for a quality complaint -- then told me I had claimed a cake was dropped on the floor, which I never said. I described the taste as "off" like he said, which is not an insult by any reasonable standard. There was a lot of silence and he just said "I'll take it into consideration." Twice. That was it. At no point during any of our interactions did we raise our voices, argue, or say anything disrespectful. We were nothing but polite. Also worth noting -- just because someone else didn't complain, doesn't mean our experience didn't happen. For someone who described an extremely busy service day, not a single positive review appears to have been posted that day, which goes to show not everyone shares their experience. In fact, this is only the 2nd negative review I have posted in my entire life and the only one that is food related. The owner claims he looked "carefully" into our experience -- yet by his own account, in just 25 minutes he managed to receive word from his employee about my call, conduct an internal review of the situation, review emails, confirm proper handling and quality of preparation, speak with three separate staff members about our interactions, and check camera footage -- and still had time to call me back. That is quite a thorough investigation for 25 minutes. Finally, it says a lot that a lengthy response was written the same day to dispute a customer's experience, yet an email sent over a week prior was never acknowledged and a call from days before went unreturned. ------

Sewell Sweets is a small spot on Liberty with seats for 4 and multiple, changed daily, small bites…read moreto regular size cookies, brownies, and cake parfaits. Come in ready to experiment. They don't have regular offerings but change flavors daily. They honor a sign up sheet to notify you when your favorite will be available for a day. Everything we sampled was flavor dense and filling after a few bites. Spoons are 1/2 teaspoon size and that might be too big. Our server was informed, patient and in good humor as we asked the same questions repeatedly. GREAT DATE SPOT!!! (If you like sweets)

They have made a couple of cakes for me now, including the dead pool one shown in the pictures. I…read moreabsolutely love their work. Are they not only amazing at what they do but they are very friendly and outgoing as well. I refer EVERYONE to them.