Local bakery is a sweet success
Dessertopia is the name of the brand-new bakery in town. Owned by local entrepreneur Ebony Turner, the superb bakery is located at the Hub Shopping Center in Richfield, MN.
The meaning behind the business name “Dessertopia” is intriguing. “I’ve always loved the book ‘The Giver’ and you know, it’s about a Utopia, a perfect world, and my thoughts of bakery— perfect dessert,” Turner explained. The desserts are fluffy, sweet, and bursting with flavor.
“Dessertopia is my first actual brick and mortar location,” Turner said. She recently hosted a soft opening for her business on May 22, 2021. “Right now, I’m technically listed as the only bakery in Richfield, but in addition to that, I’m the first Black bakery in Richfield,” Turner said.
Turner grew up in South Minneapolis “right up the street from George Floyd Square.” She said she attended “Dowling, Chiron Middle School, and Roosevelt High School [2006].” After high school graduation, she pursued a degree in culinary arts.
A lot of hard work goes into building a business. Turner fearlessly worked hard to master her craft and chose to invest in her education. She said, “I went to St. Paul College for culinary arts and graduated in 2013.” Although Turner obtained a degree in her expertise, she gained invaluable insight and lifelong lessons from her family members.
Turner developed a love for cooking as a youth. She recalled, “My grandmother on my mom’s side is a big baker and then my aunt on my dad’s side is a chef—I was always in the kitchen with her and with my grandma.” That’s where the journey began.
Before Turner launched her bakery, she focused on establishing the brand. “I was doing cakes at home and then I started working at a Commercial Kitchen Space and I just always had a dream to open this place,” said Turner. Fortunately, her dream came to fruition.
The quaint and popular bakery became a reality due to Turner’s impeccable work ethic, patience, and perseverance. She also decided to invest personal capital into the bakery without outside funding. “I never got a loan; everything in here is me—doing it on my own,” Turner said.
It takes a lot of bravery and willpower to operate a business. “Lots of tears, lots of hard work and saving,” Turner said. “There were times I almost gave up—glad I didn’t.” She added, “I’m doing it at a crazy time—I’m seven months pregnant.”
Turner is genuinely committed to her dream and loves baking. When customers walk into the local bakery, they’ll be warmly greeted by Turner. She has an upbeat and positive attitude. “Honestly,” Turner said, “my personal mission was to show people my flavors. I feel like I do a different type of dessert than other people.”
All of the desserts are flavorful and created with the most luxurious and decadent ingredients. “Everything is from scratch, every cake, frosting, every filling.” She added, “I’m not using canned peaches, not using canned apples.” The fresh ingredients contribute to the rich taste of the desserts.
Turner is well-versed in baking and she has exemplary culinary skills. She said, “I actually auditioned twice for ‘Master Chef.’ I used that peach recipe there in the peach jar—they fell in love with my recipe.” The judges were impressed by her delightful recipe.
Overall, customers can expect a variety of cupcakes and cake jars. There’s a sweet selection of flavors available: Caramel, Cinnamon Apple, Cinnamon Roll, Carrot Cake, Peaches and Cream, Red Velvet, Strawberry Lemonade, Strawberry Crunch, I Love Lemon and Chocolate Caramel Delight.
There are more sweet treats available. Turner said, “We had started doing our homemade cinnamon rolls and the pecan rolls and then we put a maple, bacon cinnamon roll on the menu.” She added, “Now we’re doing our stuffed bananas,” and the demand is growing for the popular items.
Important to note, the menu will expand as summer takes hold. “As soon as the ice cream cart gets out here, I’ll be doing funnel cakes, deep-fried peach cobbler, deep-fried apple pie, and deep-fried sweet potato pie,” said Turner.
Turner shared advice for young people and inspiring entrepreneurs: “Anything you’re interested in can be turned into a job. Define your own position. I actually look forward to working with the youth.”
She added, “I’m hiring a bunch of youth. Right now, I’ve got four youth employees that will be starting soon here.” They will have an opportunity to learn about all aspects of conducting business.
Dessertopia is located at 20 W. 66th St., Richfield, MN. Business hours are Monday through Saturday, from 10 am to 5 pm. For more info, visit www.facebook.com/DessertopiaRichfield or call (612) 354-2786.
Ashley Lauren is a contributing writer at the MN Spokesman-Recorder.