Ashley Wong appeared on the radar of many Bay Areans for the first time when she competed on season seven of Halloween Baking Championship in 2021. Since then she’s been refining her sweets, holding decorating classes and hosting booths at street fairs such as the Fremont Festival for the Arts. After many triumphs and a tragic loss, Wong opened her own storefront in Niles on July 25 of this year.
“I’ve been baking forever, so this is great to finally bring it to life, especially with Marc by my side in spirit,” said Wong at the ribbon cutting for Ashley Wong Sweets. Marc Wong, Ashley’s husband, supporter and baking partner, passed away in 2025.
At the bakery opening, Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan presented Ashley Wong with a certificate of recognition. “I want to congratulate Ashley for keeping her dream alive, and now that dream becomes a reality today,” said Salwan.
Salwan also spoke about Marc, who worked for the City of Fremont as chef for the Age Well Centers. “Many of us know Marc… He was a wonderful man, very happy and very active, and always giving back.”
Stephanie Uchida
Stephanie Uchida
Back in 2021, Ashley Wong shared with Tri-City Voice that her next goal was to open a bakery in Fremont. She and Marc agreed that Niles would be perfect. But his death left Wong at a loss for how to keep moving forward.
Wong shared via email, “After Marc passed, I kind of figured that I wouldn’t be opening a storefront anymore and to be honest, I didn’t want to without him. We had been planning this for years and it was so hard losing him.”
A few months after Marc’s passing a church friend reached out with information about a Niles space available to rent. Wong went to view the space and introduced herself to the landlords. A few days later, she got a call that they had chosen to rent to her.
“When I saw [the space], it looked perfect,” Wong said. “I told myself, if it all works out, it must be meant to be.”
The bakery is on Niles Boulevard, close to the entrance from Mission Boulevard and Highway 84. A long line of customers appeared for the opening, and Art Freak Studio next door hosted an afterparty with a DJ and crafts for kids.
Sweets for sale included cinnamon rolls, cupcakes, macarons, cookies and jam-filled pastries made from Wong’s pie crust (which received many kudos on the baking championship).
“The grand opening was both amazing and heartbreaking for me,” said Wong. “I reached my big goal of opening a storefront. Something I’ve been working so hard towards for so long. My husband was my biggest cheerleader and even though he’s no longer here, I felt his guidance and love through everything I did along the way. This was my biggest tribute to him, bringing this dream of ours to life.”
Salwan said, “Every neighborhood should have a place like this. A place that smells sweet and tastes good, and it’s a local feel where people know your name and build relationships over a long time. Ashley does all of that. Not only does she do great baking, she also has a lot of heart to give back to the community.”
Ashley Wong Sweets, LLC
Fri – Sun, 10am-4pm
37825 Niles Blvd., Fremont
ashleywongsweets.com
