Dayton-area baker moving to downtown Troy is a ‘dream come true’

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

Sweet Dreams Cake Shoppe in Troy will soon relocate downtown to 121 Public Square, on the corner between Grandpa Joe’s and Ruby’s Salon.

Catherine McKenna Peoples, who owns the bakery with her boyfriend, Johnny Rochester, said moving downtown is a “dream come true.”

“I really didn’t think it would ever happen,” Peoples said. “A big sense of accomplishment is something I feel. I can’t even imagine anything better.”

Peoples’ mother taught her how to bake at a very young age. She recalled learning to bake when her siblings were at school and always baking dessert for her family. She went to the Columbus College of Art and Design with hopes of becoming a children’s book author and illustrator but ended up moving to Troy at 23 years old, getting married and having five children. When her oldest turned 1, she said she made a cake and soon after had requests from friends. Those requests eventually grew.

After baking out of her home for about 20 years under Night Kitchen Cakes, the opportunity to open at 50 S. Dorset Road arose. Peoples has been at her current location selling a variety of cupcakes, specialty cake slices, signature cakes, classic cookies, gourmet cookies, macarons, brownies, cream horns, eclairs and many other pastries for about 18 months.

Peoples said she looked at opening a spot in downtown Troy about 10 years ago but couldn’t afford it at the time.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

“A shop like this needs to be in downtown,” Peoples said. “The whole downtown has a different feeling to it. I’m so excited to be part of it.”

If all goes as planned, Peoples said she hopes to reopen at her new location towards the end of July. She is expecting to close her current location at the end of June.

Whenever she goes downtown, she says she feels a sense of community. She particularly enjoys the tree lighting ceremony around the holidays. This year, she will have a front row seat.

She described her children as her “best taste testers” and said they come into the bakery and hang out whenever they can. She said Rochester helps out as well by working with her on Saturdays and pitching in when he can on late nights.

Peoples said she works well over 100 hours each week at the bakery, but the customers keep her motivated.

“I could be having a horrible day and everything could be going wrong and I see someone’s reaction to something I made and that just makes my day,” she said.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

Sweet Dreams Cake Shoppe plans to add online ordering, a loyalty club, seating, specialty cakes in their case, drinks, DoorDash, extended hours and much more at the new location.

The bakery is currently open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. For more information and updates, visit Sweet Dreams Cake Shoppe’s Facebook or Instagram pages. A website is coming soon.

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