Although the business is normally closed on Monday, “Liv For Sweets” opened its doors earlier this week to celebrate a special birthday – its own.
The bakery marked its first anniversary by offering a festive counter filled with an assortment of award-winning cupcakes and other sweet treats to a steady flow of appreciative locals.
Liv For Sweets is named for its owner, 22-year-old Olivia “Liv” Jessup. The self-taught baker has long dreamed of operating her own bakery. Even before opening the doors of her business, located at 134 West Main Street in Pilot Mountain, she had established a following by offering her baked goods over social media.
“This has been a dream of mine since I was 13,” she recalled during a Monday afternoon break. “I had been looking for a place where the public could come in and when I got this opportunity, I just went for it. Now, it’s taken over a part of my life.”
Even while living her dream, Jessup’s first year has not been without its share of unexpected challenges. Even the most experienced business owners have struggled while dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and Jessup is no exception.
“When it started, we had to start doing things like curbside service and that helped a lot. We had a lot of weddings and parties that were canceled. The canceling of the downtown street events was hard and we had to overcome the lack of traffic that caused,” she said.
“But a lot of those events that were canceled,” she continued, “those people are coming back in now as they are planning something new. It’s really not been that bad of an overall effect. And our businesses have been great at supporting each other. Pilot Mountain has grown as a community over the last few months.”
She has also received a boost from her mother, Melissa Jessup, who has proven especially helpful at the business’s counter. Melissa Jessup is warm and outgoing by nature and Olivia Jessup smilingly refers to her mother as “the face of the business.”
Jessup has also been helped by the positive response to her baking. Buoyed by a continuingly positive online response, she has seen customers visit from throughout the state and beyond.
Adding to her accolades, Jessup recently claimed four First Place recognitions at the prestigious Queen City Cupcake Festival. She took top honors in the categories of Most Unique, Best Frosting, Best Chocolate and Judges Favorite.
Through ups and downs, it’s been a first year to remember for Jessup as she continues to make a longtime dream come true.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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