Dayton's Not Dead: Val's Bakery | Photos by Issac Warnecke | The Wright State Guardian
Val’s Viral Bakery owner, Paige Woodie, talked about a passion for baking quality pastries and being a part of a strong community in Dayton.
Val’s: how it started
On Jan. 13, Val’s Bakery opened the doors to their newest space on 25 S. St Clair St. in downtown Dayton.
The bakery, specializing in high-quality, handmade baked goods, coffee beverages and matcha, is run by owner Paige Woodie.
“Food is art, and I love to play. My hope is that when you take a bite of your treats from Val’s, it might just brighten your day the way these recipes have for me and my family for generations,” Woodie states on her website.
Customers can purchase many fresh pastries and beverages on the bakery’s menu Monday through Sunday. An option to order ahead is offered through Val’s website for those in a hurry.
Specialty coffee beverages, such as the Tiramisu Cold Brew and other seasonally inspired drinks, pair well with any of the pastries Val’s is famous for.
Baked goods include a variety of specialty croissants, cruffins, scones and pastry basics. All baked goods are made from scratch using Grandma Val’s recipes.
“My grandmother Val, who the business is named after, was an amazing baker. She would actually mail us things, and then when she came and visited we would always bake together,” Woodie said.
According to Woodie, her passion for baking, which was inspired by Grandma Val, was not discovered until quarantine in 2020. Woodie claimed after raiding the pantry during quarantine, she decided to bake Grandma Val’s scones.
What started as a hobby, quickly transformed into pastry deliveries and pop-ups.
As demand grew greater, Val’s opened its first shop on Brown St on the University of Dayton’s campus in 2023.
“We moved to Brown St, which was tiny. Because we were very limited in what we could do, we kind of switched from a bakery to a coffee shop, but sold baked goods,” Woodie said.
Woodie’s business soon outgrew the Brown St location and found Val’s new location on St Clair Street, where she was able to prioritize baking thanks to the extra space.
With experience in baking and a knowledge of the coffee world, Val’s has become a hot spot for gathering as a community for treats.
Community & success
Since opening the newest location, Val’s has become a big success for the Dayton community.
With the location being in the heart of downtown Dayton, Val’s contributes to the sense of community that small businesses have been curating in recent years.
“I always wanted to be downtown. I just loved the community of the downtown and the walkability of getting to come to Val’s for breakfast,” Woodie said.
After a video made by Cleveland food blogger @thingsivebeeneating went viral, with over 2.5 million views, the bakery saw a massive shift in demand and popularity.
“... we think that this is the best bakery in the state of Ohio. Both their sweet and savory pastries were incredible, and we loved the colorful, flavorful, matcha and coffee beverages,” the original video’s caption states.
According to Woodie, the video was a big surprise to Val’s staff. The video made by the food influencer caused Val’s to become a hot spot that everyone in Dayton and beyond had to try.
After going viral, Woodie made sure to adjust to the new demand.
“So since then, we have doubled our staff. We’ve doubled our equipment, which included refrigeration, prep tables, [and] an oven,” Woodie explained. “We’re making four times as much as we were before the viral video.”
With the well-deserved success and a strong presence in the Dayton community, Val’s Bakery has become a staple for locals and travelers looking for quality baked goods.
