Sunrise Bakery bought out, closes

By HEIDI DESCH / Hungry Horse News

The aroma of baked goods can no longer be smelled coming from a Columbia Falls pastry shop on U.S. Highway 2.

Sunrise Bakery closed last month and new owners have purchased the building.

Steve Marquesen purchased the building from Joe and Sue Smith.

The Smiths purchased the business in 2003 from Gary Morton, who had run the bakery for about 12 years before that.

They ran the bakery along with the help of their sons, Cory and Ryan.

"We needed to move to do something else," Sue said. "I loved it for the people, but it was a 24/7 job."

For now the couple is taking some time off.

"We're taking a break. We worked so much for all these years," she said. "We haven't decided yet what we'll do."

A sign announcing the space for lease has been in the window for more than a week.

"We've had a few people interested in it, but we don't have anybody in there yet," Marquesen said.

He said that there are no definite plans for the space other than to lease it out.

"It will just stay the way it is for now," he said.

Marquesen owns the Nite Owl Restaurant and Back Room, which are west of the bakery. He also owns two houses located to the south of bakery.

He said that now he and other investors own the whole block.