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For more information about Sweet Sassafras Bake Shop, visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SweetSassafrassBakeShop.
POSITIVE NEWS
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A local woman who was born and raised in Springfield has decided to make it her mission to help improve her town and help it return to the community she knew as a child.
“Springfield is having a rough time, and I hope to be somebody to help get it back to where it once was,” said Mandy Crabtree.
Crabtree works full time for a group home for individuals with developmental disabilities — and also has a passion for baking. She longs to open her own small business in the Springfield area.
“I want to open a bakeshop and offer gourmet coffees,” she said. “Where people can go and feel like they are always welcome.”
Crabtree has been baking since she was a child, when both her grandmother, Roberta Mulkey and her great-grandmother, Hazel Rolph, helped her learn her way around the kitchen.
“We never have been a family for store-bought pies or cakes,” Crabtree said. “I was always in the kitchen for as long as I can remember. My grandmother made our birthday cakes and taught me and it has always been comforting and fun.”
A few months ago, Crabtree decided to open her bakery business, Sweet Sassafras Bake Shop, for online and custom orders and developed a Facebook page to get it started.
“I can make anything people want,” Crabtree said. “I make a lot of birthday cakes and cookies for the holiday season. I’d say my specialty is cake pops.”
Crabtree settled on the name for her business because she wanted it to have a country feel, reminiscent of her family roots in Kentucky. “It just came to me one day, and I liked the sound of it,” she said.
She also developed a passion for feeding people by spending time in the kitchen with her grandmother and great-grandmother. She has hosted dinners for friends and family for years. “I make dinner and desserts and I have never had someone say they didn’t like what I make,” Crabtree said. “That helped me realize I was on the right path with the business.”
In addition, Crabtree has baked special items for the residents she works with. “I have made them cupcakes for holidays and I had feedback that these were the best cupcakes they ever had,” she said.
After two months in business, word is spreading about Sweet Sassafras in the Springfield area and beyond.
“I use my grandmother homemade buttercream icing recipe,” Crabtree said. “My cake pops and mini cakes sell really quickly too. I show my work to a lot of people and word of mouth gets me business. I stopped into the dentist office for an appointment and my dentist ordered a cake and cake pops for a Christmas party!”
Crabtree’s goal is to eventually open a storefront bakery, complete with a gourmet coffee bar, right in the heart of Springfield. She has her eye on a location that would support a drive through because she wants it to be convenient for customers.She wants to be close to the local college, Wittenberg University, and cater to students.
“I want to offer products people can afford,” Crabtree said. “I love making people happy and I love this community. I want to do my part to try to get things back on track so it’s a place where people will want to stay and raise their kids.”
Crabtree and her husband have decided to raise their two young children in Springfield because her family is nearby and she loves the location. “I’ve never been a big city fan,” she said. “I like that there are fewer people and not a lot of traffic here but I hate what’s been happening in the community. When I was a kid we were able to go out by ourselves and not have to worry about bad things happening. Hopefully we are on an upswing, and I want to be part of that.”
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