By Kenda Watkins

REXBURG – A few years ago, Alex Andrews moved to Rexburg with no connections. She said that when she moved to Rexburg, she was having a hard time. To cope, she decided to take up a hobby: baking.

“I had never baked before, and it turns out that I have a talent for it,” she said.

She baked and baked, and pretty soon she had more pastries, bread, and desserts than she knew what to do with, so she started to share her talent. In October 2024, she opened The Little Free Bakery Rexburg. 

The idea of a little free bakery is similar to the little free libraries that are common in neighborhoods. Little free libraries are little houses that look like bird houses, on the side of the suburban road, but house books instead of birds. Usually, the whole community will contribute books to the library. Everyone is free to take and leave a book. Unlike little free libraries, little free bakeries are supplied by one person for the whole community.  

What happened after the Little Free Bakery Rexburg opened was incredible. Connections were made, and a tiny community was born. Most Sundays, Rexburg residents and BYU-Idaho students come and enjoy the baked goods Andrews made.

Andrews loves the community that has formed around her hobby. She loves that people can come together to enjoy the baked goods. What’s even more, it has created a community for her. She gets recognized while going on walks, and she loves saying hello to the people who stop by.

The communities and connections don’t stop in Rexburg. There are about thirty different free little bakeries all around the country. Andrews is connected to this bigger community that spans the country. Some locations include Seattle, Wash.; Austin, Texas; and Nashville, Tenn. 

So much good has come from that hard time in her life when Andrews found a hobby to share with others. She invites the community to stop by and become part of something bigger. The Little Free Bakery Rexburg is open most Sundays around 3-3:30 p.m. and is open until the goods are gone. It is located in front of Teton River Flats, off of E. Lorene Street. The baked goods will be in a bread box on a table. The offerings change every week, and the day’s menu and updates about the bakery are posted on The Little Bakery Rexburg’s social media. She commonly has pastries, cakes, brownies, and so much more.  You can follow her on Instagram: @littlefreebakeryrexburg and on Facebook at Little Free Bakery Rexburg. 

Because Andrews runs and supports this bakery, she always welcomes donations of flour, sugar, and other baking ingredients. She will also accept donations via Venmo @Alex-da-gymnast. Andrews doesn’t just offer a free bakery. She also has an online shop, Old Souls Bakery, where she sells her baked goods. You can buy some online or catch her at the Rexburg Farmer’s Market. She is always happy to stop and say hello.