Sweets by LaDawn

By Ian DesJardins

            Last week I took a trip with my travel writing group to a little place called “Sweets by LaDawn”.  It is a small bakery that is located quite close to leaves of learning.  When we walked into the small building, the loud door buzzer sounded.  The lobby was very small.  It was about a meter wide and 6 meters long.  There was a glass container which held many delicious looking sweets.  Next to that was a desk with a cash register on it.  There were three lights hanging from the ceiling above the container and the desk.  The space that we were in was very cramped.  All six of us were packed into this little lobby area.  I was closest to the door, and it was a very awkward spot for me to be in because other costumers would open the door, try to get in, realize that there was no room, put on an angry face, and walk out.

            A few facts about LaDawn herself are that she moved from Baton Rouge, Louisiana to escape hurricane Katrina.  She also used to do all of her baking in her own home.  When she moved to Cincinnati, she started up her business in that building that we were in.  She had a little help for her business because before she moved, she had a costumer base.  These costumers recommended her when she was in Cincinnati. That really helped her Cincinnati business get off the ground.  She also said that some of the costumers in Cincinnati call her “the next cake boss” or “the cake boss of Cincinnati”.  She makes many specially ordered wedding cakes, cupcakes, normal cakes, and this wonderful thing called “Not-a-cheesecake cake”.  She said that the “Not-a-cheesecake cake” is her best seller.