HAYDEN — A hot pink owl cake awaited fondant eyes as Lizzie Adams inspected her handiwork.

The Village Bakery employee meticulously rolled the white decorative material to make a shine effect in the colorful creation's eyes.

"Everything has been going pretty well so far," Adams said Thursday. "I really enjoy learning a lot of new stuff and doing a lot of baking and working on cake pops and decorating cupcakes."

Village Bakery, with more than 20 employees and an army of culinarily creative volunteers, is celebrating its new home in a 2,400-square-foot space at 190 W. Hayden Ave. next to Super 1 Foods. It officially opened its doors Jan. 1.

A dream fulfilled by chef Dana Bellefeuille, Village Bakery employs people with special needs and abilities of all kinds, ranging in age from 14 to 40.

"A soft opening was important for us because of our staff that are special needs, so they'd be able to learn the layout and the different stations and how everything works in a commercial kitchen," Bellefeuille said. "Most of them have never worked in a commercial environment."

Her inspiration to create this special place comes from her kids. Her son is on the autism spectrum and daughter Jessica has a physical disability.

The mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked pastries permeated the premises as Bellefeuille shared how more families learn about Village Bakery every day.

"Families that have adults with special needs come in, excited about this opportunity, wondering if their children can be involved. They're so surprised that we say yes!" she said. "The families are so blessed their adult child has a safe place, that we know what we're doing with special needs and that they're going to be OK."

In Village Bakery, kindness and joy are spread like cream cheese frosting on a warm cinnamon roll.

Customers experience their own sense of joy when they drop in for a croissant, a breakfast burrito or a cup of espresso.

"It is a very joyful environment. It's bright, it's open, everyone is so cheerful every single day, everyone works together as a team," Bellefeuille said. "I couldn't ask for a better business."

First-time customer Jim Trueworthy visited for a ham and cheese croissant. He heard all about Village Bakery through a friend whose daughter is a chocolatier.

"It's the best thing I've seen in a long, long time," he said.

Jessica Bellefeuille, 21, worked the espresso machine as she discussed Village Bakery's journey. She knows how much it means to her parents and their whole family to achieve this goal.

"Seeing my parents commit to their dreams and move and make all these big changes and risk it all, it means so much to me to have that example," she said. "Giving the opportunity for people to actually grow and not be in a discriminatory space, it's wonderful. I love it."

A grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting for Village Bakery will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday.