Wards Pastry to close in Ocean City after 98 years

OCEAN CITY, N.J. — After 98 years and countless doughnuts, snowflake rolls, butter cookies, and scrapple pies, Wards Pastry has announced it is closing up shop.

“It’s just time,” said owner Deneen Hohman, wrapping string around a cake late Wednesday morning as customers lined up at the counter of the bakery at 730 Asbury Ave.

The bakery shelves were mostly empty, already cleared out by customers who having been lining up every day an hour before the 7 a.m. opening.

Wards has been in the Hohman family since the 1940s. They have sold to the owners of the Cap Swag boutique located on the Boardwalk. The last day is Sunday.

“After being an Ocean City tradition for over 98 years, WARDS PASTRY will be turning off its ovens Sunday, September 18, 2022 for the last time,” the bakery wrote on social media. “The Hohman family would like to thank everyone for choosing Wards Pastry to be part of their celebrations through all of these years. Thank you for all of your support! #ocnj #scrapplepie #cookiejarsforsale.”

Wards joins Voltaco’s Italian Foods on West Avenue, in business for 68 years, and the O.C. Surf Cafe, in business for ten, in announcing closings in Ocean City post-Labor Day, after a summer that saw restaurants coping with staffing shortages and high costs. Prior to the summer, 710 Mosaic announced it was closing.

“It’s sad to see it go,” said Lauren Sacco, 18, who has been working at Wards since she was 14.

Hundreds of loyal customers responded with posts of heartfelt gratitude to the shop, a fixture on Asbury Avenue with its distinctive green-striped awning.

“Our family has been going to your bakery for 3 generations! You are always a huge part of our annual vacation. It will not be the same without your bakery. Thank you for 98 years of amazing pastries!” wrote one woman.

“This is incredibly sad,” wrote another. “Your pastries have been enjoyed by my family for generations. Loved your snowflake rolls, sticky buns and crumb buns. So many great memories.”

“I’ve had donuts at Wards with all of my grand babies,” wrote another. “My sister and I enjoyed early morning bike rides for coffee and donuts. we jokingly called it our fitness rides.”

At Wards, customer Janice McMaster of Bucks County said she would miss a place she has been going to for decades, stretching back to her parents.

“It’s very sad,” she said. “They had the best butter cookies anywhere.”

By the time, she got to Wards on Wednesday, they’d already sold out for the day. She recalled the treat of parking in the back of the store, then walking through the bakery to get to the front counter.

Deneen Hohman said the high cost of ingredients made it impossible for them to continue. “It’s time to retire,” she said. “It used to be fun, and it’s not anymore. It’s not profitable owning a bakery anymore.”

Owner Walt Hohman wrote on Facebook he has a collection of more than 600 cookie jars, a collection started by his grandfather in the 1940s, that have decorated the store. He has sold about 75 of them to customers, and has valued the entire collection at $20,000. Many were already being sold inside the store.