9 Black-owned bakeries in Charlotte
Last year was historical on many fronts. Not only did we navigate a global COVID-19 pandemic, but our nation faced a race pandemic, too.
As Black and brown people, along with allies, took to the streets to protest injustice following the killing of George Floyd, individuals, companies and brands attempted to bring awareness to the inequities between Black-owned businesses and their non-Black counterparts. It ultimately awakened a rebirth of support for Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs around the world.
While the newfound support was welcomed, what many failed to see were the struggles that these businesses have faced for decades. Simply finding the funding to get off the ground is an obstacle that business owners of color face every day.
The next time you ask or are asked, “Why does it matter if the owner is Black,” come back and reference this post.
To keep the momentum going, we want to highlight Black-owned bakeries to try the next time you’re in the mood for homemade bread or baked goods. While many people aim to eat right and cut out junk for at least the first few months of the year, we all deserve to treat ourselves occasionally.
Whether you’re looking for custom cupcakes for an event or social-media crazed hot cocoa bombs, consider stopping by one of these establishments.
(1) Burney’s Sweets and More
1200 N. Davidson St.
318 E. South Main St., Waxhaw
Pop into this area bakery for items such as peach-glazed croissants, 15-layer chocolate cake and turtle brownies. Hungry yet? Dwayne and Kimberly Johnson own not only the Charlotte location, but its sister location in Waxhaw, too.
(2) BW Sweets Bakery
5820 E. WT Harris Blvd.
425 Winnifred St.
2023 Beatties Ford Road (opening May 2021)
This popular bakery featured on Food Network’s “Girl Scout Cookie Championship,” recently opened its second location in South End and is on its way to opening a third this spring. Known for its never-ending variety of cake slices, you are sure to find something you’ll love no matter your taste bud. Did we mention it also makes custom cakes?
(3) Cake Affect
4305 Old Monroe Road, Unit K, Indian Trail
Ryan and Angela Simpson grew up in families with a gift for cooking and baking. Armed with that background, the married co-owners grew from starting a home-based bakery in 2013 to running a storefront in Indian Land, where they sell slices of sweet treats, along with whole cakes, pies, cornbread, cobblers and cupcakes.
(4) Candy’s Sweets and Treats
1051 Oakland Ave., Rock Hill, SC
Owner Candace Aaron has managed to keep customers coming back with her melt-in-your-mouth cupcakes, even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. “The support of our local community has been our saving grace during this time,” Aaron told CharlotteFive. “We couldn’t be more thankful.”
(5) Cheesecake Carousel
100 N. Tryon St.
You can usually find this mobile dessert cart in the heart of uptown.The husband and wife duo who own the business whip up cheesecake recipes that have been in their family for generations, including a vegan strawberry option. We even heard that Charles Barkley approves.
(6) Cosmic Cookie Bakery
8535 Hankins Road, Suite F
If you don’t feel like leaving the house during COVID-19, you can still get owner Idris Braithwaite’s award-winning toffee coconut cookies delivered to your door. Not in the mood for cookies? No worries. You can also purchase treats like red velvet cake, bean pie, and carrot cake.
(7) Cupcake Queen
201 W. South Main St., Suite A, Waxhaw
Owner Tara Smith got her start in the baking business after making treats to help deal with the loss of her mother, Pauline. Cupcake Queen offers online ordering of macarons, pound cake, bundt cakes, cake pops and more. Shipping is also available.
(8) Jazzy Cheesecakes
9402 Northlake W. Drive, #102
After losing her uncle “Jazzy” in a car accident, owner Gerri Brown decided to honor his legacy by opening this shop. Pop in for over 80 flavors including cheesecake duos, which are half cake-half cheesecake, or the popular cheesecake-stuffed apples.
(9) Smallcakes Utopia
6925 University City Blvd., Unit #415
This University City location of the cupcake franchise celebrated its 1-year anniversary Nov. 16, 2020. Owner CJ White and his team sell 12 signature flavors of their daily in-house made cupcakes. There are also special cupcake flavors that change daily. There are additional locations at 9818 Gilead Rd #B102, Huntersville, 4847 Shopton Road and 13855 Conlan Circle, Suite G.
Did we miss your favorite Black-owned bakery in the Charlotte area? Email us at charlottefive@charlottefive.com to let us know.
This story was originally published January 20, 2021 at 10:59 AM.
