New gourmet dessert, wine and cupcake café opens in downtown Dayton

“We’re continuing to see more and more businesses opening downtown on our first floor and so that’s the exciting thing,” Gudorf said. “Even during the pandemic, we’re just seeing so much activity. So, we’re excited that people who want to start their businesses want to be right here in downtown.”

The new shop is owned by Kia Wilson, a born-and-raised Daytonian and former Dayton teacher. She first began her confectionary business from her home kitchen eight years ago under the name “Kia Cake and Co.”

The café was originally slated to open under the “Kia Cake and Co.” name in Feb. 2021, though those plans were put on hold until this year. During the past year, Wilson has rebranded the space and changed the name to Me’ Yanna Berry Co.

“The wait is finally over,” Wilson said to her followers on the Me’ Yanna Berry Co. Facebook page. “Chasing this dream has required immeasurable faith, countless prayers and rivers of tears that have watered these seeds to grow... My best friend and I lost our siblings and we decided to name the dessert café after them to honor their lives and to build a legacy they will both be proud of.”

Me’ Yanna offers cupcakes, an assortment of desserts and the cafe’s own line of wine called “Brown Sugar Legacy Wine.” They also provide non-food items like gourmet cigars, prayer candles, crystals, incense and more.

“When we have unique destinations like this, like a dessert bar, it just adds more interest to our downtown,” Gudorf said. “As workers come back and more and more residents, you know, are moving downtown, it’s these kinds of specialty stores, restaurants, that really add to the vibrancy of our downtown.”

Hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Friday from noon to 6 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and closed Sunday through Tuesday.