Bonnie Jones says she started her own bakery “because I couldn’t find a decent bagel in town.” Nearly five years later, Beelzebunz now has a retail location, in addition to a presence at the Old Capitol Farmers Market.
The so-called “Satanic bakery” opened downtown this week at 213 S. Fifth in the space recently vacated by Jerk Shop Go. Jones says the name is a play on words, since Beelzebub is known as the demon of gluttony.
“There’s a lot of guilt associated with food in our culture, and a lot of disordered eating as part of that. I wanted to absolve people of their guilt of eating good food,” said Jones.
Based on the following she’s built over the years at the Farmers Market, Jones wanted to open a brick-and-mortar location downtown. “We’ve generated a solid customer base from the market, and we need more businesses to draw people downtown,” she said.
Jones also hopes to draw customers with special dietary needs and says she’s “more than happy” to cater to people looking for vegan or gluten-free items. “I saw that as a niche in Springfield that needed to be filled.”
Everything is made from scratch, and Jones hopes to alleviate any hesitancy people feel about indulging in the bakery’s offerings. “You shouldn’t feel guilty about food that fuels your body,” she said.
