Arctic Moon Shot

During the pandemic, folks have been gifting sweets to neighbors, friends, nurses, and teachers—giving birthday cakes instead of having birthday parties, says Jamieann Bell, co-owner with Linnea Ward of Arctic Moon Bakery in Anchorage. “It’s better than an email or a text, if you get to open your door to a half dozen cinnamon rolls; that’s a really good friend.” Bell and Ward, who developed their cake and sweets catering business over the last five years, were about to build out their dream—their own commercial kitchen—when COVID put the pause on their funding. True to their bootstrapping beginnings, Bell and Ward found ways to keep baking.

Arctic Moon offers weekly doorstep delivery of freshly baked pre-ordered treats to customers in Anchorage and Eagle River, treats like bourbon-soaked cherry scones with pistachios, or Alaska zucchini muffins. The bakery is best known for its cakes, and Bell and Ward are taking special orders for cakes and cupcakes, including their signature cake that features a gorgeous floral half-moon which can be made in any combination from their creative list of house-made flavors.

Bell and Ward met when they both worked at Snow City Café. They formed bonds over running and work and coffee. Bell has a degree in culinary arts and small business from UAA, and Ward is a former coffee shop owner. When they started baking together, they rented commercial kitchen space from their employer. Soon enough, Snow City was contracting Arctic Moon to provide baked goods for the café.

“We march to the beat of our own drum,” Ward says. So, when choosing a business name, they wanted to go against the grain, and asked themselves “What’s the opposite of Midnight Sun?” They were thrilled to land on Arctic Moon as a name, and even more excited to find another woman-owned local business, Corso Graphics, to design their logo. Navigating the business world as a majority woman-owned and Alaska Native-owned business—Bell is Athabascan—matters a lot to both Ward and Bell. And while they still consider themselves a fledgling business, they already plan to mentor others as soon as they can. They learned a lot about seeking funding, and hope to be a resource to other Alaska Native-owned businesses. “Something that’s really important to us is to give back,” says Bell. When the time is right, they can’t wait to host young interns and show them the ropes of business and baking.

Bell says the pandemic drew business owners together in new ways. “The small business sector really leaned on each other. We are impressed with the community of Anchorage.” They have made connections they plan to keep with fellow small local businesses like Johnny’s Produce, and they are proud to use Alaska products from Alaska Salt Company, Stoked Beekeeping, and Summit Spice & Tea in their 100% from scratch cakes. Bell and Ward also feel lucky that while a storefront is a long-term dream for them, they were already set up with ways to reach the wholesale and retail clientele that have helped them stay baking and treating the Anchorage area to sweetness throughout the tumultuous months of partial and full lockdowns. “As devastating as COVID has been, it has brought us in contact with people we never would have touched before.”

Order your sweet fix from Arctic Moon by visiting their Facebook page, Instagram or their website, www.arcticmoonbakery.com.

This profile is part of our web series sponsored by the Alaska Small Business Development Center. Read the rest of the series.