Magnolia Bakery teams up with Rendever to bring sweet Valentine’s Day surprise to seniors

Rendever, a virtual reality company focused on reducing social isolation and depression amongst the senior population, teamed up with Magnolia Bakery to bring an unforgettable Valentine’s Day experience to the Stone Hill at Andover assisted living community.

For some seniors, visiting their favorite bakery or even baking their favorite Valentine’s Day treats may no longer be an option, but this year it became a virtual reality for the residents at Rendever’s 125+ senior living clients across North America. Thousands of seniors now have access to a behind-the-scenes tour of Faneuil Hall’s bustling Magnolia Bakery store and kitchen, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Magnolia Bakery’s General Manager, Sarah Wallace, widely known for her recent appearance on Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship, also showed step-by-step instructions for their famous vanilla cupcake recipe – complete with a gourmet buttercream rose decoration on top. Not only did seniors at Stone Hill at Andover get to partake in the 360° experience of Magnolia Bakery, they also got to enjoy the cupcakes and meet Sarah in person for an extra sweet VR session.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring this unique Valentine’s Day VR experience to our clients,” said Kyle Rand, co-founder and CEO of Rendever. “It’s exciting every time we produce and share something new, but this partnership with Magnolia Bakery is especially meaningful. They have built such a warm and inviting brand, so it was no surprise that working together has been fantastic. Collaborating to deliver this special custom video is sweet, and seeing the residents at Stone Hill marvel at Sarah’s baking and enjoy the cupcakes first-hand is the best Valentine’s Day gift we could imagine.”

“I’ve always been a huge fan of the impressive work that Rendever is doing to improve the lives of seniors,” said Sarah Wallace, General Manager of Magnolia Bakery in Boston. “Being able to share my love of baking with these residents and seeing their faces light up throughout the afternoon was an incredibly rewarding experience.”

Rendever cofounder, Kyle Rand, and Magnolia Bakery’s Sarah Wallace are both Rochester, NY natives pursuing their passions in Boston. When Kyle approached Sarah about bringing the Magnolia Bakery experience to seniors during a holiday that celebrates love and connection, she was immediately all in. In just four days, Rendever filmed, edited and uploaded the video experience to the Rendever VR platform to be used in time for Valentine’s Day.

This was the first time a professional baking experience was available on the platform. Other experiences include checking off bucket list items like visiting the Eiffel Tower or revisiting meaningful places like a childhood home.