Sharon and Ted Hays. The Observer/GARY FLETCHER

ENTERPRISE – After 26 years of operation, the Cloud 9 Bakery is closing March 7.

Ted and Sharon Hays own and operate the bakery and a sign painting business.

Sharon has been the primary operator of the bakery, while Ted operates the sign business at a separate location.

The sign business was originally in the rear of the bakery building when the Hayses first purchased it with friends and partners Dale and Peggy Young of La Grande.

Several years later, the Hayses bought out the Youngs.

The building had been the old firehouse. So, the first five years it was known as the Old Firehouse Bakery. It has been Cloud 9 Bakery the last 26 years.

Ted will continue to operate Ted Hays’ Signs at 100 W. North St. in Enterprise.

Sharon, however, is going to retire and be able to spend more time with her grandchildren.

Their eldest son, Brett, lives in Joseph. His daughter MacKenzie is 12 and his son Tucker is 8.

The Hayses’ son Tyler lives in New York City.

Their daughter, Amy Caveness, lives in Bonney Lake, Wash. She has a son, Caid, 12, and a daughter, Kaci , 7.

All three of the Hayses’ children learned to work at the bakery. “Overall I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Ted said.

Though Ted will continue to work, closing the bakery will allow them both to travel more, he said.

The Hays expressed appreciation to the people of the community for their support. “It was really busy since the day we opened it and has been busy ever since,” Ted said.

“We’ve been so lucky with the help that we’ve had. Our employees are great people. We enjoy them,” Ted said of the four to five people that they’ve employed year-round.

Sharon tells of how she came by her cake decorating expertise. She said that one day Ted decided that they should start decorating cakes. He accepted a cake decorating order and said, “Here Sharon, decorate this.”

“So I had to learn on the spot,” Sharon said.

It took her five days to decorate the cake, she said.

But, she’s had lots of practice since, and now the same size cake takes her 15 minutes, she said.