'This means so much': Fredericton business empties bakery's shelves just to show support

It wasn't the kind of day Jonathan Ramirez was planning to have, but it was welcome all the same.

Ramirez owns Monkeycakes, a bakery located on Priestman Street in Fredericton that specializes in intricately decorated cupcakes.

On Friday, he received a Facebook message from Hawkins Equipment, another Fredericton business, asking how much stock was available.

"I said, 'Oh, we have all kinds of stuff in the case,'" said Ramirez.

But Ramirez didn't expect what happened next. Representatives from the business came to the bakery and bought everything he had available.

"What's it for?" Ramirez is seen asking in a video posted to Hawkins' Facebook page.

"Just to support our local businesses," says an employee from the buyer.

It wasn't what Ramirez was expecting.

"I had no idea that this was going to happen," said Ramirez. "I wish I did. I would have baked, like, triple what I had."

Ramirez saidhe teared up at the gesture from one local business to another.

"This means so much," said Ramirez."I really appreciate what they did personally for me."

Tough year

The gesture couldn't come at a better time.

Many businesses have struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Ramirez's is no exception.

A lot of his bakery's business comes from weddings and birthday parties, which have been in short supply because of restrictions on gatherings.

He also caters corporate events, and even just snacks in the break room for local companies, but more people have been working from home.

It has all added up to a difficult time for the bakery, which celebrated nine years in business last October.

"We've downsized, we've scaled it down, there's really only two of us working right now and it's been a rough year," said Ramirez.

"We're maintaining. We're keeping our head above water."

Ramirez said when times were good his business was always ready to give so he's happy to see that karma coming back around.

He said the gestures of a fellow local business shows how important it is to support local businesses.

"[It's] so easy to go online or go to a big-box store because that's deemed essential, sometimes the little guys are forgotten," said Ramirez.