Local News

‘Swirly’ is missing: Flour Bakery offers reward for beloved soft-serve mascot

The bakery’s missing soft-serve mascot was last seen outside Flour Boston Common — and may now be in a nearby dorm.

David L Ryan/Globe Staff

May 4, 2026 | 12:30 PM

1 minute to read

A giant soft-serve mascot has disappeared from Flour Bakery, and the suspect list may include some nearby college students.

Joanne Chang, the James Beard Award-winning pastry chef and co-owner of Flour Bakery, put out a call on Facebook Sunday after Swirly, the giant cone usually stationed outside Flour’s Boston Common location, went missing.

“Missing: our giant soft serve mascot! Answers to Swirly,” Chang wrote in the post.

Swirly was last seen perched on the railing outside Flour Boston Common, where he welcomed customers and helped promote the bakery’s soft serve, Chang said.

But Swirly may not have gone far.

Chang’s post included a photo that appeared to show the cone perched in the window of a nearby window.

“He was possibly spotted in a nearby dorm window looking down longingly at home,” Chang wrote, adding that the bakery has “reason to believe he may be confused about where he is.”

For anyone who may be “temporarily sheltering him,” Chang offered a gentle plea: Bring Swirly home safely.

The reward? Baked goods and Flour’s “eternal gratitude,” Chang said. No questions asked.

Flour’s Boston Common cafe opened last year in the park’s concession pavilion, becoming the bakery’s 10th Boston-area location. Flour, which Chang first opened in the South End in 2000, is known for its pastries, sandwiches, cookies, cakes, and at certain locations, soft serve.

Boston.com reached out to Flour Bakery for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.