Winters small town charm can be attributed to it's wonderful people. What also makes our community so special are the business owners who have invested in our community by opening their businesses here.
Our Members are your neighbors, friends and family who support local organizations and programs that enrich all of our lives. Whether it is providing summer jobs for kids, partnering with Non-Profit organizations to raise funds and awareness, sharing business expertise with a new business or providing quality services and products, Winters Chamber of Commerce members are some of the most generous people you will want to meet.
By supporting our local businesses you make a difference and are part of the reason that Winters is the place we call Home.
Upper Crust Bakery Interview
Chamber Member Highlight
Interview by Soledad Melendez-Huerta, Student High School Intern, December 2025
Q: How long have you been in business here in town?
A: Upper Crust Baking opened in Winters in September 2022. We have been baking in Davis since 1986.
Q: What have been some of the biggest challenges of running a bakery?
A: I would say that the biggest challenge is just how much work it is. I suppose it’s similar for many small businesses, but running a bakery really requires a tremendous amount of work. There have been times when I have worked more than 24 hours in a row! And while that is rare, it is common for me to work long hours for several weeks without a day off. I didn’t realize how much work it would be when I decided to run this business.
Q: What are your most popular items among locals?
A: In Winters, we sell more donuts than anything else. Before we opened in Winters, we had never made a donut. But the community demanded it, and so we had to figure out a way to oblige. We were very lucky to be able to hire some of the staff who had worked at Lester Farms Bakery before it closed, and they helped us become a donut shop, along with all the other baked goods we produce.
Q: What does a typical day look like here?
A: Work at the bakery starts early, usually between 3 am and 4 am, when the first employees come in to start making donuts and other goodies. We try to have as much as possible ready when we open at 6 am because there are often people waiting for us to unlock the doors. In the mid-morning, we have a shuttle that takes products back and forth between our Winters and Davis bakeries because we make different items in each kitchen. Because we are just around the corner from the high school, we get several rushes of students who come to get a snack when they are on a break. And now that we offer frozen yogurt, we’re open into the evening so that folks can come by for an after-dinner treat.
Q: How has the local community supported your bakery?
A: The Winters community has been extremely supportive, and we are grateful. We have always believed that a bakery can be a vital part of the community it serves, and Winters has made it clear that we are. We exist to serve the community, to be a gathering place, to be a place to share good food and good times, and to be a resource during hard times.
Q: What's the hardest part of keeping everything fresh and ready to go?
A: It’s definitely harder to manage a business that makes products with a limited lifespan than other businesses that make more durable goods. We are baking almost around the clock in order to ensure that our products are the freshest they can be when people come in.
6 Really Great Reasons to Support our Local Businesses!
Improve Your Family's Health
Buying local foods has numerous health benefits to your family. When you buy from our local Yolo County farmers, you have access to fruits and vegetables that are organic, olive oils that are certified Extra Virgin, home made jams, jellies, salsas and more. There are also benefits to eating raw local honeys, which are thought to help battle allergies.
Bolster our Local Economy
When a consumer buys local, significantly more of that money stays in the community. In fact, one Chicago study found that for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 remained in the city compared to only $43 of each $100 spent at a chain retailer.
Local business owners often have incentive to support other local businesses, patronizing local establishments for both business and personal reasons. Chain businesses, on the other hand, tend to get their supplies from corporate, as well as having store managers and employees that aren’t as personally invested in buying local.
Knowing the People behind the Products
When you personally know the people behind the business where you’re buying local products and services, you enjoy a connection you would not otherwise have. Along with the rest of the community, you celebrate when a favorite local business succeeds and you mourn when it’s forced to shut its doors. This personal investment isn’t quite as present when a chain business closes, aside from feeling disappointment that you have fewer businesses within convenient driving distance.
Keep Our Community Unique
Local businesses give a community its flavor. Towns across America have similar chain restaurants, grocery and department stores but that diner down the street where you have breakfast every Saturday morning is one-of-a-kind. The combined presence of your town’s many local businesses makes it different from every other city in the world. By supporting those businesses instead of chains, you ensure that uniqueness is preserved as a part of your community.
Better Customer Service
If you’ve ever dealt with a large corporation, you know getting help can be a nightmare. You’ll call a 1-800 number, only to be transferred seven times and put on hold. Even when you speak to a customer service representative, that person is so far removed from the decision-making process, there’s little concern that the company will lose you as a customer.
When you shop local, the business owner is usually directly connected to every employee in the store. That leads to a personal approach that often means any problem you have is taken seriously.
More Personalized Service
Having the owner nearby also means that owner personally knows his customers. He knows the products you buy or the services you request on a regular basis and can tailor services to make your experience even better. A local gardening shop owner may learn about a new product on the market that can help you with a pest control problem you mentioned on one of your visits, for instance, and can order that product as part of his selections.
Buying local has benefits beyond mere convenience. When you support local business owners, you get a better level of service, as well as helping make your community a better place to live. This is in addition to the health benefits and access to unique products that you usually can’t find with chain locations.