HANGING ROCK - For all of those with a sweet-tooth, there is a new option to satisfy the cravings, and it happens to be just in time for the holidays.

The Red Brick Oven bakery opens at 9 a.m. today at 91 State Route 650, near the intersection with U.S. 52.

"We are real excited and hope the business will be there," said Nathan Bricken, bakery co-owner with Ernest Brewer and Shane Lawson. "We have gotten a lot of attention already. We hope to serve the area with some goodies just in time for Christmas."

The store will offer sweets such as pies, doughnuts, brownies, cream horns, turnovers, cookies, eclairs, pecan rolls and more. Delicatessen services may be added in the future, Bricken said.

Owned and operated by Red Brick Oven LLC out of Pikeville, Ky., the new business will employ approximately eight full-time employees and few part-time.

For today's grand opening, store hours will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Normal hours will be Monday to Friday 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Talk of a new bakery opening in Ironton surfaced months ago, but the rumors died down.

"As you know, we have been up and down and did not know if we were going to open," Bricken said. "Our downtown Ironton location did not work out, but we were able to find another location nearby."

All the food will be unique to Red Brick Oven, but pastry connoisseurs may see a few familiar faces.

Ron and Kim Gullett, both former employee's at Tipton's Foodland and Bakery, will do all the baking. Both are ready to start serving up the sweet treats.

"I am very excited," Ron said. "A lot of people worked long and hard to get it up and going."

The initial focus will be on retail to the general consumer but several companies have already shown interest in selling the baked goods, Lawson said.