The Mt. Hood Baking Company was welcomed with open arms into the Welches business community on opening weekend May 6-7. The bakery’s debut was a real hit for customers with a taste for delicious sandwiches and fresh-baked bread.

“It was awesome,” owner Susan McWilliam said of the grand opening event. “We completely sold out both days.”It was really wonderful. Cool people and a great community.”

McWilliam, who co-owns the business with her wife Jessie Hawkins, has found a niche on the mountain. A former owner and chef at Redwood Restaurant in Portland, McWilliam brings more than a decade of cooking experience to the table.

Her culinary skills landed her an appearance as a contestant on the Food Network TV show “Chopped.” She didn’t win but she made a big impression.

Cooking is only one of her talents. A singer-songwriter who plays piano and guitar, she grew up in Mexico City and spent time in New York and Los Angeles pursuing music as a career.

When music didn’t pay the bills she always had cooking to fall back on. She set her piano and guitar aside to focus on her business full-time.

Mt. Hood Baking Company is as warm and inviting as its aromatic breads. The quaint eatery has wooden floors and black ceiling fans. Inside seating is provided by five cozy tables and three roughly-hewn large benches that complement the rugged motif outside on the patio.

The bread selection is irresistible.You can just smell the goodness wafting from the oven. Sourdough, baguettes, ciabatta, bruschetta. They have it all. If meats like ham, turkey or chicken salad aren’t your thing, try a veggie sandwich on their hearty multigrain bread with seeds. And don’t forget to top it off with a decadent pastry or two.

McWilliam and Hawkins, a schoolteacher, commute to work from their home in Sandy and employ only a part-time pastry chef besides themselves. They expect to expand the days they are open to Thursday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. when school goes on summer vacation.

Mt. Hood Baking Company is located at 24525 E. Welches Road in Welches. You can reach them by phone at 503-322-6623. Their hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Their website is under construction at mthoodbakingcompany.com.