Moravian Sugar Cake and Cheese Straws Still Come From a North Carolina Bakery That Opened in 1930

Warm sugar hung in the air near the door of that North Carolina bakery, and the smell hit me before I ever saw the display case. I had driven into the city mostly to see the old parts of town, and a friend told me I would regret skipping this place.

She was right. Inside, there were trays of tiny cake squares, tins of paper-thin cookies, and a sugar cake that looked like someone had pressed buttery thumbprints all across the top.

What surprised me most was how many people walked in already knowing exactly what they wanted, like the order had been passed down to them.

Decades of birthdays and holidays will do that to a bakery, the kind of place where the recipes have been tested and trusted for generations.

The counter staff moved with the ease of people who have been doing this for years, and the whole room hummed with the quiet satisfaction of customers who knew they were in the right place.

I left with a box of cookies and a new appreciation for how a bakery can hold a community together.

A Bakery Born in 1930, Still Standing Strong

Ninety-five years is a long run for any business, and Dewey’s has managed it while the world around it changed completely. The bakery opened downtown in 1930, right in the middle of the Great Depression, which sounds like the worst possible timing for a shop built on cake.

It survived anyway. Dewey’s was also the area’s first all-electric bakery, a detail I found oddly charming, since it means the place was considered high-tech back when refrigerators were still a novelty.

Standing at the counter, I kept thinking about how many small bakeries never make it past a decade. Recipes get lost, families move on, storefronts turn into something else.

Here, the Moravian traditions of Winston-Salem got baked into a business plan and stuck. The 95th anniversary landed in 2025, and the celebration felt less like corporate marketing and more like a neighborhood milestone.

If you like places with actual history behind the glass, this is a good stop. You are not just buying dessert, you are buying into a very long, very sweet local habit that has outlasted almost everything else on the block.

The Sugar Cake That Takes Four Hours by Hand

Four hours. That is roughly how long one batch of Dewey’s Moravian sugar cake takes, and every batch is still made by hand.

The recipe follows a centuries-old Moravian tradition that runs deep in Winston-Salem, built on yeast-raised dough, real butter, pure cane sugar, and cinnamon. What you get is a soft coffee cake with dimples across the top where the sugar and butter sink in and turn into something close to caramel.

I had mine warm, because that is the way the bakery recommends it, and honestly it would be a mistake to do otherwise. The butter loosens up and the whole thing goes tender in a way it simply does not when cold.

Around Winston-Salem, sugar cake shows up at Christmas without fail. Plenty of families also treat it as an Easter morning ritual, which explains why the bakery is packed both seasons.

If you are visiting from out of town, grab one to take back. Reheat a slice in a low oven, pour coffee, and you have a small piece of North Carolina tradition on your kitchen counter.

Cheese Straws With a Quiet Kick

Not everything in the case is sweet, and the cheese straws are proof that Dewey’s understands the savory side of Southern baking just as well.

They are thin, crisp, and made with wheat flour, extra-sharp aged Cheddar, and a small hit of cayenne pepper that shows up a second after you bite. No artificial flavors, no preservatives, just real ingredients handled by people who have been doing it for generations.

My first handful disappeared in the parking lot, which I am not proud of but will admit to freely.

Cheese straws have a long history at Southern gatherings, showing up in bowls at family reunions and holiday parties across the region. Dewey’s version leans sharp and salty rather than mild, so they hold their own next to anything you serve them with.

Practical tip: they travel beautifully. Unlike cake, they will not smash, melt, or need refrigeration on a long drive home.

Pick up a bag or two even if you came in for dessert. Somebody in your car will thank you before you reach the highway.

Free Cake Squares Every Monday

Here is the detail that made me laugh out loud when I heard it: Mondays at Dewey’s mean free cake squares.

Not a coupon, not a punch card, just a small square of cake handed over the counter. Considering Monday is usually the day everyone complains about, it feels like a genuinely kind idea rather than a gimmick.

Cake squares are one of the most talked-about things in the shop, and once you see them lined up in the case you understand why. They come in different flavors and icings, sized just right for one person who does not want to commit to a whole slice.

Locals build entire office traditions around them. Platters get ordered for meetings, showers, and school events, and the little squares somehow feel more festive than a full cake.

My advice if you are planning a trip through Winston-Salem: aim for a Monday. Doors open at 8 AM most days, so an early stop means a fresh case and a shorter line.

A free bite of cake is a pretty great way to start a week.

The World’s Thinnest Cookie Made Its Name Here

Hold a Moravian cookie up to the light and you can almost see through it. That is not an exaggeration, these things are often called the world’s thinnest cookie, and Dewey’s has been making them for decades.

The spice version is the classic, thin and snappy with ginger warmth that lingers. Oprah Magazine put them on its “O List,” which is a fun bit of trivia for a cookie born out of an old Moravian tradition in North Carolina.

I bought a tin as a gift and ended up opening it myself on the drive, which is a mistake I would happily repeat.

Flavors go well beyond spice these days. Meyer Lemon, Triple Ginger, Toasted Coconut, Salted Caramel, and Brownie Crisp all sit on the shelves, and picking just one is genuinely difficult.

Since they are delicate, handle the tins gently on the ride home and pack them upright rather than under heavier bags.

The cookies also ship nationwide and turn up in grocery stores, though eating one in the bakery where they originated hits differently.

When Neighbors Saved the Bakery Twice

Two stories from Dewey’s past explain why this place matters so much locally, and neither one is about food.

During World War II, sugar rationing threatened to shut the ovens down. Customers started bringing in their own sugar so the bakery could keep baking, which is a level of loyalty most businesses never see.

Then came 1955. A fire destroyed the Fourth Street location on Easter Monday, which is about the cruelest timing imaginable for a bakery built around holidays.

Winston-Salem responded fast. Neighbors offered temporary space and baking facilities, and production restarted in just two days.

Later that year, Dewey’s moved its flagship to the brand-new Thruway Shopping Center, where it is now the only original tenant still operating. That fact alone tells you something about staying power.

Knowing all of this changed how the shop felt to me. The friendly staff, the busy counter, the regulars who order without looking at the menu, it all connects back to a community that decided this bakery was worth rescuing.

Sweet stuff is easy to find anywhere. A bakery people fought for is rarer.

Pink Lemonade Cake and the Celebration Counter

Ask anyone in Winston-Salem about Dewey’s and Pink Lemonade Cake comes up almost immediately.

Created back in 1976, it has stayed a fan favorite through five decades, showing up at birthdays, showers, and retirement parties all over the region. The color alone makes people smile before they taste it.

The cake counter is where the bakery really shows off. Custom orders get sketched out with customers, tiers and fillings and colors worked through until the design matches whatever picture someone brought in.

A Wedding Cake Boutique opened in a historic carriage house in 2008, giving couples their own dedicated space for tastings and planning.

Alongside the big cakes, there are cupcakes, dessert bars, eclairs, cream horns, coffee cakes, Moravian Lovefeast Buns, and house-made ice cream. Party supplies like decorative napkins and candles sit nearby, so one stop covers most of the celebration.

If you need something custom, call ahead rather than walking in and hoping. Cake designers can work quickly when needed, but giving them a week means more freedom with your design.

Grab a cupcake while you place the order. Research purposes only, obviously.

Planning Your Stop on South Stratford Road

Getting to Dewey’s is easy, though parking at the Stratford Road spot fills up during busy hours, so a little patience helps.

Hours run 8 AM to 9 PM Monday through Saturday, with Sunday shorter at 11 AM to 6 PM. Evening visits are surprisingly pleasant, and the late close means you can stop by after dinner for ice cream or a cake square.

The shop functions as part bakery, part gift store. Shelves hold North Carolina themed merchandise, mugs, books, and pillows, so browsing is half the fun even before you order.

There is no seating area, so plan on taking your treats elsewhere. A nearby park bench or your car works fine, and the Thruway Center has plenty of other shops worth wandering through.

Dewey’s runs multiple Winston-Salem locations, including Thruway Center and Reynolda Manor, plus seasonal pop-up bakeries during the holidays. The company also gives back through fundraising partnerships with local schools, churches, and nonprofits that have raised millions.

Address: 262 S Stratford Rd, Winston-Salem, NC