Roll it Forward program provides free sweet treats

Portrait of the mother-daughter team of Jana and Sadie Felt who plan to open a new bakery, Lake Baked, in the Brookside Yard in Bigfork. Their current plan is to open in either February or March of 2020. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)

by MACKENZIE REISS
Daily Inter Lake | July 12, 2020 1:00 AM

Everyone needs a little pick-me-up once in a while.

Having a rough day? Family responsibilities piling up? Stressed over the pandemic?

Lake Baked wants you to enjoy a cinnamon roll gratis. That’s right — totally free.

In mid-June, the family-owned bakery announced the Roll it Forward program where customers can purchase $5 cards for others to use in the future, whether they’re tight on cash, going through a challenging time or simply forgot their wallet at home.

“We just thought, if somebody was having a bad day and they just wanted a freebie, they could come in and maybe it would help change their day around if they got a free roll or a free coffee,” said owner Jana Felt.

The launch of Roll it Forward was also partially motivated by all of the change and uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With COVID there are plenty of people who are having a tough time,” Felt said. “It’s just such a supportive community and we want to make sure that everybody is taken care of and that people know that they can come into our place and …. this program will buy them a coffee.”

The Roll it Forward cards are hanging up in the cafe and anyone can take one, bring it up to the register and select their sweet treat. A cinnamon roll and cup of coffee, two cookies or a slice of pie are a few of the possibilities.

Customers who are feeling generous can buy the cards and either make their contribution anonymously or add their names to them. When Felt announced the program during last month’s Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce Sundowner, she was floored by the enthusiastic response from the local business community, which contributed more than $150 in Roll it Forward cards. As of Monday, Felt said the cafe had about $260 in Roll it Forward dollars available for public use and hoped to see more people take advantage of the program.

“There’s no judgment … you just pull one down and you take it to the register,” she said. “If you’re having a bad day and you use one, maybe someday when you’re having a really great day you’ll come in and buy one of the cards to share with someone else.”

Reporter Mackenzie Reiss may be reached at 758-4433 or mreiss@dailyinterlake.com.