A new coffee shop for everyone to enjoy is open and it is called

The Sweet Shop. This coffee shop offers 120 varieties of pound cake

along with other sweet treats. The Sweet Shop offers a calming

atmosphere with a 1940’s feel.

A new coffee shop for everyone to enjoy is open and it is called The Sweet Shop. This coffee shop offers 120 varieties of pound cake along with other sweet treats. The Sweet Shop offers a calming atmosphere with a 1940’s feel. The original lemon pound cake recipe has been passed down since 1945. Brandon Lee Tankard, son of the owner, Margret Elaine Designs and an employee at The Sweet Shop were well versed in the history of the pound cake recipe and how the shop got started.

“The recipe came from my grandmother. She used to bake a lemon pound cake and take it to church every Sunday,” said Tankard.

“My mother has been baking pound cakes for years,” said Tankard. “She grew up around it, I grew up around it…I guess she just started to experiment with different flavors and that’s when we decided to get this spot and see what we could do with it.”

Along with the tradition of making the cakes from scratch, kosher desserts are also offered.

There are also many kinds of entertainment available for the public to enjoy. The Sweet Shop offers book readings, local artist displays, live music, dancing and more. Karaoke Night is offered Fridays at 7 p.m. along with live music Saturday nights. A poetry stage is also available and spoken word artists are welcome to come.

“We wanted to create opportunities for other people, to create a safe place for artists to come in and be themselves and showcase their talent,” Tankard said. “It is really fun for us to get to know some of the talent that is out there.”

The Sweet Shop offers three zones for people to enjoy by accommodating different moods. The first zone is the black and white floor area that people initially see when they enter the shop. The gallery/longue area is the second zone and the patio is the third zone. Catering is also a service provided by the Sweet Shop.

To accommodate their customers The Sweet Shop also has new store hours.

“People would come in and say you guys should open up earlier … I’m on my way to work at 7 and 8 o’clock in the morning; I need my coffee before work,” said Tankard.

Tuesdays through Thursdays hold its regular store hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday operate on weekend hours while it is closed on Sundays and only open by appointment on Mondays. The Sweet Shop is located on 631 Elm St.

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• Ameera Vines, Contributor