Today we’d like to introduce you to Trish Smith and Dave Woelber.
Trish and Dave, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In 2017, Southern Sweets Bakery celebrated 25 years of baking excellence bringing fresh baked pies, cakes and wonderful southern edibles to its patrons. What is the secret to their success? The answer lies in the baking principles left by founder Nancy Cole as her exuberant passion for baking permeates the atmosphere at the bakery. It all started when she was just three-years old, a little Nancy Cole would pull herself up to stand on a stool alongside her grandmother “Nana” while she prepared luscious desserts for their large family. As Nana worked her magic sifting ingredients, stirring liquids and preparing pans, Nancy stood there quietly taking it all in. A young, wide eyed Nancy watched her grandmother’s labor of love and listened to her Nana sing and hum beautiful melodies. These memories and lessons are now key ingredients to Southern Sweet Bakery’s success. Young and eager three-year-old Nancy paid close attention to her grandma as she shared her cooking secrets and love of baking. When Nancy was given her first Easy Bake oven, it ignited her passion for baking. At age twelve she cooked her first Thanksgiving dinner complete with stuffing, vegetables, and real cranberry sauce. Her passion only grew from there and as a young mother of three, Nancy would wake her children up early every Friday morning and they would bake twenty loaves of bread for family, friends, and neighbors.
Nancy’s passion turned into profession when a friend who delivered fruits and vegetables to a prominent Atlanta steakhouse mentioned that they were looking for apple and pecan pies. Knowing Nancy’s perfected skills of baking from personally receiving some of the Friday baked bread, her friend encouraged her to get in contact with the restaurant. Nancy, now in a place where her children were in school and having some free time on her hands decided why not. She took the opportunity and called the restaurant. To her surprise, they gladly accepted the invitation to sample some of her baked goods. This was a twist of fate for Nancy, although baking was her passion, she had never baked pies before. Not one to back down from a challenge, Nancy stayed up all night baking, but the apple pie continued to have a large unwanted space between the pie filling and the crust. With integrity at stake she refused to compromise on her quality and rescheduled the appointment. Determined to master this skill, she called her Nana who offered her a tip for the apple pie “steam the apples ahead of time to prevent the space between the apple filling and the crust.” The once again wide eyed Nancy put her Nana’s advice to work to achieve her signature pie. This tip is still used today at Southern Sweets Bakery along with many of her grandmother’s other tips. Nancy spent the next night baking and preparing for the meeting with the steakhouse. After a stressful tasting with the general manager and head chef, the restaurant ended up ordering six of each which soon grew to an order twice a week. Little did Nancy know where this would go but she was in business and that prominent steakhouse has been good to her over the years, continuing to be one of her best customers today.
After this humble beginning, the bakery’s reach continued to grow. In 1992 Nancy found a great out of the way building in Decatur, just blocks from the DeKalb Farmers Market to set up shop. Baking for over 20 restaurants and several hotels in the metro area she wanted to expand and offer their tasty delights to the public. A wonderful commercial baking kitchen was installed and the retail area with its lemon yellow walls and twirling ceiling fans was ready to greet the new retail customers. The bakery was making its weekly deliveries to restaurants, hotels, and businesses throughout the area and serving its growing walk in customers, but one day Nancy was challenged again. Many of the people working in the area who stopped in for a treat would ask about “real food”. There were just not a lot of options for them to grab a bite to eat in the vicinity. In response to this quest, the Southern Sweets Bakery began serving soup and sandwiches for lunch in 1998 and the bakery’s offerings continue to grow as today they have an extensive lunch menu and in 2012 they began serving great southern breakfasts like the fan’s favorite lox and bagels and Uriah’s buttermilk pancakes. With this introduction the bakery began to open earlier and expanded to seven days a week.
Remember those kids Nancy used to wake up every Friday morning to bake the bread? Well, two of them caught the baking bug and today her daughter Ashley heads up the wedding cake department and son David manages the operations of the retail area at Southern Sweets Bakery. When talking about family, we must not forget the other employees who have assisted in making this company a success. Southern Sweets Bakery’s employees are considered family and this positive working environment is the other key ingredient to the bakery’s success. Nancy heart fully shared this statement: “We are grateful for being able to continue baking for the Atlanta community and could not have done it without our wonderful present and past employees.” In 2015 Ms Nancy lost her battle with cancer and left this gem to her husband and kids who have vowed to continue her legacy bringing wonderful yummy desserts to the Atlanta community.
Today, 25 years later, Southern Sweets Bakery still operates the bakery in the remote Decatur warehouse district near the DeKalb Farmers Market and you can find Southern Sweets Bakery desserts on prominent restaurant menus all over the metro Atlanta area.
Some of them quietly serve the scrumptious morsels and some of them having no qualms about sharing their dessert secrets. Anyone who stops by the Decatur bakery often can easily spot their signature creations throughout the community. Over the years they have added to the humble menu of apple and pecan pie and now they have something for virtually every sweet palette. Pies, cakes and treats which are gluten free or vegan can be found whole or by the slice. Visitors are always in for a treat at Southern Sweets Bakery.
You are cordially invited to stop in and help us celebrate 25 years of baking in the Atlanta community. Enjoy our fresh, made to order, southern home-style breakfast or lunch fair. Whether you grab-n-go or linger over the last bite as you breath in the delectable aromas of the bakery, you are sure to enjoy what Nancy and her staff have prepared for you as they continue baking under the motto she learned from her Nana: “”Perfect Ingredients, Simple Preparation”. All with a broad smile… come in and see us.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Like any small business there have been a few bumps in the road as long time wholesale customers close their doors and great employees come and go. We always have to remember that tomorrow is another day and to keep looking for the opportunity. The largest pot hole for the bakery was in 2015, Ms Nancy Cole, founder and bakery inspiration lost her battle with breast cancer. Definitely a rough patch for the bakery but her husband, children, and the bakery staff banded together and committed to keeping her legacy moving forward as she would want.
Please tell us about Southern Sweets Bakery.
Southern Sweets Bakery is a wholesale/retail bakery just blocks from the DeKalb Farmers Market in Decatur, Georgia. Atlanta’s Homemade Secret Since 1992. We take pride in our made from scratch (yes, no box mixes here) Yummy Desserts and strive to use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible and steer away from preservatives.
Some of our fan favorites on the dessert menu are the caramel layer cake, old fashion layer cake, New York style cheese cake, chunky apple spice pound cake, apple pie, cherry pie, pecan tarts, and vegan strawberry layer cake. The bakery has a reputation for offering a large selection of vegan and gluten free choices. Our unique artistic café is complete with full breakfast and lunch menus filled with wonderful southern fare all perfectly created to compliment those yummy desserts.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Absolutely nothing!
Contact Info:
- Address: 186 Rio Circle,
Decatur, GA 30030 - Website: www.southernsweets.com
- Phone: 404-373-8752
- Email: bakery@southernsweets.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernsweetsbakery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MySouthernSweetsBakery
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MySouthernSweet
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/southern-sweets-bakery-decatur-2
- Other: https://www.zagat.com/r/southern-sweets-bakery-decatur
Image Credit:
Inga Finch Photography
Face It Social Marketing
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