Dewey’s Bakery’s History
Article Published by: journalnow.com
Dewey’s Bakery’s history
1930: Dewey’s Bakery’s history began when Dewey G. Wilkerson opened Dewey’s Bakery in downtown Winston-Salem during the Great Depression. It was the area’s first all-electric bakery. The bakery occupied several downtown locations, including 114 W. Fourth St., where it operated for several decades. The Dewey’s mural on a wall of the Pepper Building is still faintly visible.
1944: Dewey’s shipped 12,000 pounds of fruitcake to servicemen throughout the world.
1955: A fire destroyed the bakery on Fourth Street on Easter Monday, but the company lost just two days of production. People in the community offered temporary space and baking facilities. That same year, the company moved its flagship location to the then-newly built Thruway Shopping Center.
1963: The company added a second location at the then-newly built Reynolda Manor Shopping Center.
1992: Dewey’s created Salem Baking Co. to focus on the national distribution of several of its most popular products. Since its creation, Salem Baking has added several new artisan products, including Classic Southern Style Cheese Straws, Cheese Biscuits, Flatbread Crackers and Shortbread Cookies. These products are sold in Dewey’s stores and at specialty food retailers across the country.
2008: Dewey’s Wedding Cake Boutique opened in a historic carriage house at the company’s new downtown Winston-Salem corporate office at 224 S. Cherry St., which is the historic John W. Fries Home. The boutique marked the introduction of a new contemporary line of wedding-cake designs to accompany Dewey’s traditional wedding cakes. Katy Hites, a Johnson & Wales-trained pastry chef, joined the company to oversee the baking and design of the cakes.
2009: Dewey’s opened a third location at Harper Hill Commons. In addition to fresh baked treats, it offered an expanded selection of coffee and espresso drinks. That same year, the company hired Alison Turner as its executive pastry chef to focus on creating treats and helping customers create custom cakes.
2011: CAKE By Dewey’s opened at Hanes Mall, focusing on cake items. This year, the company also introduced a new line of gourmet cupcake flavors by the bakery’s team of pastry chefs to complement its line of original flavors. In April, Scott Livengood and his wife, Michelle, acquired full ownership of Dewey’s.
About Scott Livengood
Scott Livengood is the owner and CEO of Dewey’s Bakery, Inc., a commercial wholesale bakery with a respected national brand of ultra premium cookies and crackers.
Previously, Scott worked at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts for 27 years, starting as a trainee in 1977. He was appointed President of the company in 1992, then CEO and Chairman of the Board.
Scott has served on numerous boards including the Carter Center, the Calloway School of Business and the Babcock School of Management, Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County, and the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce.
He started a new business, StoryWork International, in 2016 with Richard Stone. The signature achievement to date is LivingStories, a story-based program for improved patient experiences and outcomes in partnership with Novant Health.
