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Wild Sweet William’s, the bakery that I have long considered to be one of the very best in Arkansas, recently moved to a new location at 504 South Main Street in Searcy. While it is just down the street from their previous spot, the new building represents a major upgrade in size, going from 675 square feet to 3,500.
“We now have seating,” says co-owner Bill Ford. “Our hope is to expand the menu to lunch and brunch with desserts offered in the evenings down the road. However, we’ve had a huge surge in business with the move. In many ways, it feels like starting over. We’re focused on dialing in our current menu with all the changes.”
I paid a visit to Searcy over the holidays, mainly to help out with last year’s World Championship Chocolate Gravy Cookoff, but also to check out Wild Sweet’s new place, and, of course, partake in some of the baked goods. For me, there are always two must-stops when going to Searcy: Knightfire BBQ and Wild Sweet William’s. I’ll get to the former in second, but first, let me dedicate a few paragraphs to the latter.
The new space is expansive, with modern touches throughout, and a nice outdoor area, complete with tables and chairs and a view of Main Street. For now (and probably well into the future), the ordering process is exactly the same as before. Just head to the counter and gawk at baked goods for a few minutes, then make some bad choices for your waistline.
Wild Sweet William’s menu includes cinnamon rolls, muffins, cookies, babycakes and breakfast sandwiches. Then there’s the wide variety of scones, with flavors like blueberry, chocolate chip, lavender white chocolate and apple cinnamon. The kolaches are my favorite. Those unfamiliar with the doughy, yeasty, subtly sweet baked goods will enjoy all the shop’s options. I highly recommend the pimento cheese or the blueberry and cream cheese, but really, any one of baker/co-owners Lisa Ford’s creations is worth a try. Then there is the klobasnek, a sausage roll that is a close cousin of the kolache. Wild Sweet has those, too. Ford also enjoys cranking up her creative juices during major holidays, which I found out firsthand this past Christmas after trying her eggnog and pomegranate curd kolaches.
Searcy is fortunate to have Wild Sweet William’s, but really, Arkansas is as well. This food is worth a trip from anywhere in the state. It is that good, and now things are bigger and better than ever. Oh, and guess who took over their old location? That’s right, Knightfire BBQ is going to be a brick-and-mortar.
Did You Know?
Wild Sweet William’s has online ordering available, but orders must be placed by midnight the day before they are needed. No same-day orders are accepted. Catering is also available.
Wild Sweet William’s Bakery
504 S Main St (Searcy)
Phone: 501-593-5655
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 7 a.m.-noon; Closed Monday & Tuesday
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[…] Wild Sweet William’s Bakery – Wild Sweet William’s is settling into its new location on Main Street quite well. To ensure you get your favorites, you can place your order online, and it will be ready for pick up the following day. Come on in and select from baked goods like scones, kolaches, muffins and cookies. Crab a cup of coffee and pull up a seat inside or on their outdoor patio. […]