Daddy’s Girls Bakery will open the doors to its North Charleston brick-and-mortar shop Friday, Jan. 1, giving guests the chance to kick-off the new year with a Charleston chewy, classic cupcake or another sweet treat. The new bakery is located in a refurbished space at 2021B Reynolds Ave. that aims to bring in more minority-owned businesses, a press release said.
The bakery’s roots date back to 2011, when owners Nathan and Chasity Brown started building a local following by opening a kiosk at the Charleston International Airport, stand at the Charleston Farmers Market and booth at the downtown Charleston Night Market on Market Street.
Baking started as a hobby for Nathan and Chasity, but after receiving a glowing review from friends and family for a cake they made for their daughter’s fourth birthday, the Browns realized they could turn a profit selling their treats. They plan to sell a variety of baked goods at Daddy’s Girls Bakery, but Charleston chewies — brown sugar, brownie-type bars — are their specialty.
“They are a staple in Charleston, and when I was growing up, it was more so a holiday thing,” said Nathan, who uses his aunt’s family recipe. “A lot of people make chewies in the area, but nobody makes them like us and that’s our most popular item.”
The bakery’s Reynolds Avenue location is “part of a large community effort to revitalize a once vibrant hub of economic activity and community business,” a press release said. Community development nonprofit Metanoia owns the space on Reynolds Avenue, which is near Quan’s on King.
The Browns are welcoming the opportunity to be a part of the neighborhood’s regrowth, Nathan said.
“The revitalization of the area is a good thing,” he said. “We already knew Quan who is a couple doors down for us, and Smitty’s [Barbershop] has been a staple in the community for years. I’m from here originally, so I remember what Reynolds Avenue used to be. I can see the vision of what’s happening, and I’m glad to be a part of the beginning stages.”
Daddy’s Girls Bakery will open on Jan. 1 and will offer those signature Charleston chewies, along with cupcakes, cookies, specialty cakes and cheesecakes. The Browns, who have five kids (including two sets of twins), will also feature local products like Riptide coffee and cold brew and Park Circle Creamery ice cream, including two specialty flavors owner Maurice Ray made just for Daddy’s Girls Bakery: Charleston chewy and Charleston chewy pecan praline.
For more information, visit daddysgirlsbakery.com.
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