New outdoor vendor specializing in pastries: ‘2nd Street Market made my dream come to life’

As a kid, she enjoyed baking with her father. Her brother, a pastry chef in Los Angeles, has the same love and desire.

Cerovcevic was born in Armenia and lived in Lebanon and Yugoslavia before immigrating to California in 1984 at age 20. When she first came to the U.S., she was a manager of a sewing company and a bridal dress designer. She also baked with her brother but says she didn’t have enough time to do it on her own.

When her husband’s job relocated to Michigan, she worked as a lead cake decorator at a Walmart store for almost 10 years and received second place in the Midwest Regional Cake Decorating Challenge. She was approached by two investors with a proposal to manage two Detroit bakeries they were planning to purchase. She accepted the offer and worked at those bakeries for several years.

In 2020, the couple moved to Ohio to be closer to their son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. The bakery is named after the couple’s granddaughter, Cerovcevic said.

Customers at 2nd Street Market can expect to see Lucy’s Pastry Palace every Saturday and Sunday. The cottage bakery offers cakes, cupcakes, cookies, gata, biscotti and much more.

“Every week I love to bring something new,” Cerovcevic said.

This week customers can expect Mikado, an Armenian chocolate caramel cake.

Cerovcevic said she enjoys serving her customers and making them happy through her pastries.

“My customers are the ones that are going to bring me up,” Cerovcevic said. “The stuff that you do, anyone can do it, but your customers are the ones who are going to help you become somebody.”

2nd Street Market is located at 600 E. Second St., Dayton. For more information about Lucy’s Pastry Palace, visit www.lucyspastrypalace.com or the bakery’s Facebook or Instagram pages.

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