Hannah Woociker first caught my attention with her downhome approach to baking and pastry with a punch of pop. At Barrister’s, Woociker was making composed, plated desserts — like her sorghum spice cake with apricot jam and toasted coconut ice cream — but outside of Barrister’s, you could see another side of her: a ’90s kid eager to have some fun and take desserts less seriously. Pulling inspiration from vintage recipes and childhood favorite snack cakes like Little Debbie, she branched out on her own just before the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Leaving Barrister’s around the first of the year, Woociker launched Moonbox Bakery right before the Covid-19 pandemic. Moonbox Bakery is a retro-style bakery providing handcrafted desserts made with locally sourced ingredients from surrounding communities. Moonbox also has gluten-free and vegan-friendly options. 

Starting a new business at the same time a global pandemic spread caused Woociker to quickly rethink her business model. Weeks before the pandemic, Moonbox Bakery had already started booking catering events for the year but had to quickly shift operations to sustain business. Woociker turned to celebration cakes and pop-ups at restaurants. Preparation, packaging, and delivery were changed too from the original plan. 

Those changes helped Moonbox Bakery quickly find an identity and establish a few signature desserts like her celebration cakes, cream pies, and sourdough cinnamon rolls. Brown butter citrus bars, fudgy almond brownies, molasses peach cream pie, and ginger and fig custard pie are just a few examples of how Woociker leans in on flavor. 

Born in central Florida, Woociker earned her culinary and pastry arts degrees from Valencia College. She started her career with Walt Disney World, then interning in Florence, Italy. Returning to the States, she worked for a few corporate hotels before taking the pastry chef position at Highland Avenue Restaurant in Hickory, NC. After a brief stint in Virginia working for an inn, Woociker returned to North Carolina and took the position of executive pastry chef at Barrister’s at The Esquire Hotel. After working for several restaurants and corporate kitchens, Woociker realized kitchens couldn’t offer her the lifestyle she hoped for.

“I realized if I wanted the atmosphere and positive team I craved then I would need to build it myself. So here I am, one moon pie at a time,” Woociker says. 

Growth for Moonbox Bakery is underway, but like most small businesses, that growth depends on the pandemic and how quickly the restaurant and hospitality industry recovers. Woociker plans to one day have a brick and mortar and an old-school van, MoonVan, that pops-up and tours the South. 

“I want my customers’ experience to be fun, inviting, and a blast from the past. I want them to eat something that is nostalgic and reminds them of being a kid, but with bright new seasonal flavors,” says Woociker. “Groovy is the word I use a lot in my business because that’s how I feel when I bake and that is how I want my employees one day and customers to feel when they come to my bakery. I think we all need more groove and fun vibes in our lives.”

For now, you can get Moonbox Bakery’s signature vintage desserts a few ways. In Belmont, Mount Holly, Gastonia, Huntersville and surrounding areas, guests can purchase them from Feel Good Meals NC for deliveries on Monday. Charlotte guests can pre-order on Moonbox Bakery’s website for a Wednesday pickup at Free Range Brewery from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Coming soon for the holidays, Woociker is partnering with Freshlist Charlotte for Thanksgiving and Christmas purchases.

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