LEWISBURG, W. Va. -If you’ve been to the State Fair of West Virginia, you may have noticed the cinnamon roll stand “Son’s-Sational Cinnamon Rolls” or noticed the crowds of people it brings. However, before Son’s-Sational Cinnamon Rolls served its first sweet treat at a state fair, it started as a passion project.
“Well, I’ve always loved being in the kitchen even when I was real, real small and make my parents breakfast in bed, and I just started baking when I was about ten or twelve making cakes and pies, and, yeah, just decided I always liked cinnamon rolls, so I would try to perfect a recipe,” says David Naeyaert, the creator of the business.
David Naeyaert says things were rough in the beginning for what was then known as “Cinn-Sational Cinnamon Rolls,” until they found their place at the West Virginia State Fair, becoming a hit with fairgoers “right away.”
“…We’ve had people get married in line, waiting for the cinnamon rolls, and of course, even on sadder notes, you know, we’ve had people who are… serve the country, they’re overseas and their parents send them cinnamon rolls… and most extreme cases, we’ve even had people who are in the hospital and it was, like, the last thing they wanted to eat, and that really touched our hearts,” says Raymond Naeyaert, who says he grew up in his father’s cinnamon roll business, alongside his brother.
Eventually, Raymond Naeyaert and his brother became Cinn-Sational Cinnamon Rolls’s new co-owners and renamed the business into “Son’s-Sational Cinnamon Rolls.” This year, forty years since it began, they’re still on a ‘roll,’ and still bring out customers.
“…My dad used to go here a lot, and he was just wanting to try some cinnamon rolls here…” says Justice, a customer from Beckley, West Virginia.
“It’s really good. We come to the state fair every year…” says Kent Rooklin, a customer from Covington, Virginia.
Despite both brothers and their father living on different sides of the U.S., Raymond Naeyaert says this business allows them to come together as a family and see each other every year, with carrying on a legacy being the icing on the cake, or cinnamon roll, that is.
“…but now that I look back on it, carrying on this tradition that my father started, I’m really proud. I take a lot of pride, so does my brother, in doing this work because we really care about our customers and make sure we provide them with exactly what they’ve had for the last almost forty years,” says Raymond Naeyaert.
“I’m proud of these guys. Matter of fact, I think they make them better than when I did,” says David Naeyaert.
The Naeyaerts encourage people to out to try their generationally perfected recipe for themselves, with David saying once you have one, you’ll be back for more.
You can catch them at their next location in South Boston, Virginia or follow them on social media to see all the places they’ll be. They are planning to be back in Lewisburg in early May.
Raymond Naeyaert encourages people to visit them early in the day, with Son’s-Sational Cinnamon Rolls often selling out.
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