Bakeries Busy Fat Tuesday, Even During a Pandemic

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The pandemic didn't stop some sweet Fat Tuesday traditions from continuing in Connecticut.

The paczkis still rolled off the shelves at Roly Poly bakery in New Britain Tuesday, with customers who still wanted to celebrate the day.

“It’s part of celebrating our Polish heritage and its very, very good” said Stacy Proffitt, who came from Berlin to get paczkis.

Roly Poly offered many paczki flavors this year, from apricot to raspberry to Boston cream and more.

The bakery’s owner said they’d usually sell about 25,000 paczkis in the week before Lent but orders are down some this year because of the pandemic and the snowy weather.

“Whether its COVID or not, we did not change our selection of the paczki. We have paczki fresh all kind of day throughout the day,” said Roly Poly owner Remi Szupryczynski.

In Wallingford, at Keri’s Sweet Creations baker, king cakes are in demand.

In fashion fit for the times we’re in, owner Keri Logan says people have been coming to get the cakes that mark the end of Mardi Gras with plans for remote celebrations.

“They’re cutting them up and dropping them off to their family and friends, so they can do a virtual eating of the cake together,” Logan said.

She also has a special wish for Fat Tuesday in 2022.

“Next year we hope to do a ton of King cakes. We hope people are able to celebrate a little bit more, get together,” Logan said.

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