Vernon bakery closing as owner battles health issues

Local bakery shutters

Photo: Chelsey Mutter

Another local business in Vernon’s downtown core has shuttered — this time due to personal reasons from the owners.

Ara Metzner has owned Caken Me Crazy for eight years, but a sudden health issue prompting an air lift to Vancouver General Hospital has forced her to take a step back.

“I already missed three and a half months. [It was] not fair to my staff too, I really couldn't be there at all. I had a couple of the girls there, and they were just running the show because I was not available at all,” Metzner said.

Metzner is better now, but still has months of recovery ahead of her, making running the bakery impossible.

The bakery at 3300 30th St. in Vernon permanently closed at the end of 2024.

She’d hoped someone would purchase the business, but hasn’t had any luck.

“We've had a handful of people that are super interested in it, but they don't have the funding. And I think it's just the economy and just the way things are right now,” she said.

Instead, Metzner has signed up for an auction and all the equipment will be sold off on Feb. 19.

Metzner said she’s received an outpouring of support. She’s also still getting requests to bake for people, which is touching but not possible while she recovers.

“I was super sick, so I'm good though, I'm getting on the mend. I didn't ever anticipate that this is the way that things would go down,” she said. “But on the other hand, my health is the most important, and I am happy that things are moving in the right direction.”

It’s too soon to know if she’ll reopen her bakery at some point. Caken Me Crazy started out of her home kitchen and she’s kept the necessary tools to do that again, but for now she’s focused on recovery.

Photo: Facebook/Caken Me Crazy