When Joan and Tim O’Connor opened Honeymoon Sweets, they said they did not expect to become a Tempe staple. The bakery services a variety of major hotels and resorts in the Valley, has its sweet treats in Whole Foods Market and operates a retail shop that is open daily.

“I worked in hotels, and so I knew what they were looking for,” Joan said. “I went around with banquet cakes after we opened. It was me, myself and I at the time here. Going to those hotels showed that we had a great product and great service.”

In its 26 years, the bakery has expanded beyond Joan’s wildest dreams, she said. The storefront is deceptively small, but beyond the back doors is thousands of square feet of industrial kitchen space. The business employs 25 people and is hiring more bakers and cake decorators.

“A lot of people don’t know that we are actually open to the public,” Joan said. “All the time people come to the doors and are surprised.”

The bakery does custom cakes and treats and also has a case of two-bite sweets and small cakes and tarts in addition to cupcakes. Joan said it is the quality of the ingredients used that sets it apart.

“Chefs appreciate that quality when they taste it,” Joan said. “We use the true products, and you can taste it.”

General Manager Alisa Hoppis said everything that comes out of the bakery is made from scratch.

“When people come in here or order from us, they know they are getting an all-natural product,” Hoppis said.

The bakery has been hit hard by the pandemic, like most businesses. Now two years in, the business is finding new challenges.

“Tim has been driving around in search of cardboard; we need so much of it, and we are having trouble getting it,” Hoppis said.

Joan said even with the challenges, the business will continue to deliver nothing but the best.

“We just keep chug-chug-chugging along,” she said.