Hillsborough’s Simply Sweets Thriving Amid Coronavirus

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — The coronavirus pandemic has been shutting down businesses left and right, yet Hillsborough’s Simply Sweets By Lauren is thriving.

"I count myself as one of the lucky ones since I was able to switch to curbside and customers liked the option to preorder everything they want and drive-up," Simply Sweets owner Lauren Warmke said. "Business is doing better because of curbside, better than before. There is a little bit of a silver lining in COVID. It gave me new ways to look at my business and look outside the box to get through it."

Warmke started her dessert business in April 2015 renting out a commercial kitchen for years before finding her shop last year in the Triangle Center, behind Old Man Rafferty’s, at 284 Route 206 in Hillsborough.

A year later, Warmke says she "still gets that tingle you get when your dreams come true. I get that every time I come to work. I am definitely one of the lucky ones."

Warmke held an anniversary celebration on July 18 where for the first time patrons were allowed inside her shop. The celebration included sweets and township officials such as Mayor Doug Tomson and Janine Erikson.

Going forward Warmke will continue to take pre-orders for really hard items such as her cinnamon rolls and sticky buns.

"People wake up at 8:30 a.m. and cars are lined up to pick them up in the morning," Warmke said of cinnamon rolls and sticky buns.

Warmke is open on Saturdays and also accepts custom orders such as wedding cakes.

"We are already booked for one solid week in August since communions were canceled and they are just starting to come back up," Warmke said. "Postponed weddings are also coming back. Events are kind fo struggling right now so I am trying to be as flexible as I can for all of my customers."

For more information on Simply Sweets or to see her Saturday specials visit facebook.com/SSbyLauren or simplysweetsbylauren.com or call 908-295-0435.

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