Meet the Owner
A Designer's Eye.
A Baker's Heart.
I never planned on owning a bakery.
Before Warner's, I worked at architecture firms for about ten years, in Buffalo, New York and Erie, Pennsylvania. Eventually I was laid off, and I applied for job after job with no luck. Then I found out I was pregnant. After both of my kids were born, I became a stay-at-home mom for more than eight years.
Once the kids started school, I began looking for work again — and still had no luck. Then one day, my husband Dustin went to Warner's Bakery to pick up cupcakes for our daughter's birthday, and he came home with a job application. Warner's was hiring.
My first reaction was, “What?! Me? A baker? No freaking way!”
I honestly didn't know much about baking. But I applied anyway, while still looking for something in architecture. What I thought would be a temporary job ended up changing my life. I fell in love with it — the baking, the customers, all of it. I loved seeing people come in for birthdays, weddings, holidays, and all of life's special moments. Before I knew it, the bakery felt like home.
I started by decorating cookies and doing a little bit of everything. Over the next five years, I learned how to decorate cakes, work with customers, manage orders, and understand what makes Warner's so special to this community. Kathy — who owned the bakery with her husband Larry Licht — taught me most of what I know about baking, decorating, and running the place. I'm grateful for everything she taught me.
One day, Kathy and Larry told me I should own the bakery someday. I thought they were crazy. Me? A Deaf bakery owner? I worried the business wouldn't succeed because I'm deaf. I never imagined myself owning a bakery.
But several months later, when they were ready to retire, we sat down and talked it through. With a lot of planning and their support, I realized this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.
In April 2024, I officially became the owner of Warner's Bakery. It was one of the biggest and scariest decisions I've ever made — and also one of the best. Now I get to carry on a tradition that started in 1949, while adding my own touch to it.
Some days are exhausting. Owning a bakery is harder than I ever imagined — long days, early mornings, plenty of challenges. But it's also incredibly rewarding. I get to be creative, serve this community, work alongside an amazing team, and continue a bakery that's been part of Titusville for generations.
What started as a simple part-time job turned into a life-changing journey, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
And I bring a grateful heart to every customer who walks through our door.
— Hilary
