VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Inside the kitchen at Flour Child Bakery on Pleasure House Road is a baker unlike any other -- Cathy Baker.
"I picked that name in 1978," she says.
The bakery didn't come until later, in 2010. She hasn't stopped yet.
"Sometimes they check me for batteries," Cathy jokes.
In 2020, she and daughter Cassie, her co-owner, needed that energy to keep up with customers. In a year when many small businesses closed their doors, the ladies at Flour Child couldn't bake their custom cakes fast enough.
"Eating is comfort for a lot of people, and a lot of people like to turn to sugar. I think we comforted a whole lot of people," she adds.
Thanks to Cathy's daughter, a lot of people found that comfort on Flour Child's Instagram feed. That's when things really exploded.
"We just could not keep up with the demand," Cathy says. "It was ridiculous."
She's talking about hot chocolate bombs. Thousands and thousands sold, thanks to viral Instagram posts and word of mouth.
"It was nice. We benefited from it greatly, but I'm glad it's passed on. It's time for something new," says Cathy
This weekend, that's "Pi Day," as in 3.14, mathematical pi, not the kind of pie you eat. Special sugar cookies are Flour Child's latest treat to tempt your taste buds and bring in the dough.
Cathy promises, "Once you get in here and you try it, you'll be hooked for life."
A family business, built with buttercream. How sweet it is.
