OGDEN, Utah — A beloved bakery is being rebuilt after a fire destroyed the building more than a year ago.
In late August 2021, Topper Bakery was devastated by a fire.
“I was going, ‘no,’” said Valeen DeRyke, the bakery’s owner. “I was devastated.”
Valeen’s son, Lance, walked through the damage the next day.
“This place looked like a war zone in here,” he said.
The fire was another hit for this family. In 2020, Valeen’s husband and Lance’s father Dave passed away.
“I am going, ‘What else? What else can hit me now,’" Valeen recalled. “How are we going to survive this? How is this going to work out?”
Despite the challenges of losing a loved one and a devastating fire, Lance and Valeen decided the bakery should be rebuilt in the same location where it has served the Ogden community since Lance’s grandfather started the business in 1939.
The fire could not destroy an 83-year bond between the bakery and the Ogden community.
“So many people look forward to this bakery at different holidays,” Valeen said.
This summer, construction crews hammered the first nails in the rebuild.
The local community is thrilled.
“Hooray! Excited to have you guys back,” wrote one customer on social media.
Another wrote, “We are so excited about your rebuild and more excited about your pita bread and pastries.”
Those are just two of the hundreds of comments from customers who are excited that this locally-owned business is rising from the ashes.
“Oh my gosh. They do love us. They do want us,” said Valeen who has lived in Ogden her entire life. “It means a lot to know my community and hometown is behind us 100 percent.”
The DeRyke’s hope construction will be complete by the end of the winter with a possible reopening in Spring 2023.
