Bakers bond in sweet work on TD’s 2nd Street; Ribbon Cutting on Tuesday

Bakers to be celebrated on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 5:15 p.m. with Ribbon Cutting

By Tom Peterson

Cyndi Camp and Megan Neuberger

The Dalles, Ore., Jan. 9, 2025 — Can you smell that?

It’s cinnamon, chocolate, and success.

And it's being wafted out of beautiful packages of cupcakes, muffins, macarons, everything bagels and split-top sourdough at The Workshop, 116 E. 2nd Street, The Dalles - the site of the former Sears Store that closed in 2020.

Cyndi Camp, of Cupcakes by Cyndi and Megan Neuberger, of Rustic Roots Baking have brought a team together to fully bake their dream of having a downtown shop in The Dalles.

What customer’s now experience is a warm and welcoming space filled with the aroma of fresh baked breads and sweets packaged with care that sit neatly out front of the clean, organized kitchen.

The Workshop’s eclectic mix of gifts and hand-made artisanal products provide a perfect backdrop for buying artisanal bread, a muffin and a cup of coffee.

It’s a relaxing synergy of comfort and pleasure.

Some swear by the Rustic Cinnamon Roll. Once a bite is splashing your pallet, you will be nothing but speechless.

Or you can grab and go, as the businesses have set up a do-it-yourself refrigerator where you will find cupcakes, muffins, bagels or sourdough with a Venmo option to make your purchase. Otherwise, bring cash.

But like anything that seems to flow flawlessly in both function and form, there was much labor to getting their businesses to this level.

Both Cyndi and Megan started out in their own kitchens with raw ingredients, hopes and dreams years ago.

Cupcakes by Cyndi- Pretty and Tasty

That unmistakable sourdough split top from Rustic

“We’re real - you see us and that is what you get,” said Cyndi in a recent interview. “We have the same sense of humor and the same work ethic and young families and both our husbands work their heinies off.”

She’s not bluffing.

Pat and Cyndi Camp are always building bridges.

Cyndi is the better half of Camp’s Plumbing and Drain Cleaning, and takes calls for service and schedules appointments while she’s baking. She is also a bookkeeper for several local businesses. She has two daughters, Heather and Rylee who are both in high school. And she also fits in baking hundreds of cupcakes and muffins every week.

One order for a wedding required six hundred cupcakes, Cyndi said, noting she made them all in her home kitchen.

Will and Megan Neuberger

Megan’s husband Will is a field mechanic at Peterson Cat. The couple have three boys Eli, 3, Rhett, 7 and Hudson 10. They also live in Dufur, which provides a touch of commute. Then there are rabbits, ducks, 4-H dairy goats and sheep, and Megan likes to throw some bees into the mix. She’s a honey farmer in her spare time.

And despite their stacked schedules, both families mustered the strength to build a commercial kitchen in what was storage space at The Workshop this summer making their brick & mortar come true.

Pat plumbed, and Will built all of the oven cabinets and islands. 

But did anybody sleep?

The professional kitchen at The Workshop now flows from ingredients to mixers to four new ovens. A commercial sink provides a high level of hygiene.

Support from Lindsay and Tom Giamei were crucial in creating a brick and mortar space for the two bakers.

Workshop owners Lindsey and Tom Giamei championed the businesses helping in a “selfless easy manor” and also put in sweat equity. The Coffee Shop owned by Amanda Thayer is also located inside The Workshop, and Thayer offers Cyndi’s muffins as well

“They all just want to see us succeed,” Cyndi said. “To have business owners do that is huge.”

There’s some real pride and bonding on display here.

Megan and Cyndi also thanked their contractors who worked on short notice: Pray Electric, Pro Motions Construction and Columbia Gorge Comfort Solutions.

Friendly Amber Hogan of The Workshop can help you through your grab and go or weekend pickup of baked goods.

Macaroons from Rustic Roots Baking

On Thursday, Jan. 9, a helpful Amber Hogan with The Workshop took customers through the process of picking out Rustic bagels and Cyndi’s cupcakes from the pick up shelf. The joyful Hogan said the addition of baked goods was drawing many and was adding to the fun of her journey in marketing the shop. She pointed out that Cyndi and Megan can be reached via their Facebook sites for special orders for events or otherwise.

A year Ago

Cyndi and Megan first met a year ago at a maker’s market at The Workshop.

“I bought some of her sourdough bread and she bought some of my cupcakes… and we started doing more events together,” Cyndi said. “We got to the point where we had a good following in the community, so we started to look for open buildings and they’re hard to find. We threw the idea out there about The Workshop… I texted Lindsay, a couple of minutes later she said, ‘yeah, let’s talk.’”

Pumpkin Cream Cheese, Blueberry, Double Chocolate Chip Muffins made by Cyndi.

Help along the way

Megan started baking sourdough bread and macaroons 3 years ago, and her first event was at 15-Mile Winery. “They were a huge part of my first success” - owners Colter and Lacey Bolton and Julie Wadsworth. “They were a part of my get up.”

Camp started her cupcake business six years ago in her home and built a following with her cupcakes, also including vegan, keto, nut-free and non-gluten options.

Both said there was an element of isolation to their work before moving downtown.

They’re enjoying chats with their customers and the camaraderie at The Workshop.

“We have had so much community support,” said Megan. “People not only come in for goods but they also tell us how proud they are of us. It’s surreal, really.”

“Without them, we would not be here,” Cyndi added.

The working mom’s have scheduled themselves to have time for family.

You can catch Cyndi at the Workshop Tues.- Fri. from 10 a.m. to 2 or 3 p.m.

Megan is currently there Tues.-Thurs. 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m

The Workshop is open Tues. - Sat., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.