When Dawn White opened MeMe's Kitchen in Mt. Kisco last year, she planned all along to expand the bakery kitchen and catering business to a retail location.
"This is really phase two," she said on Wednesday, while tending to customers in her new store, , at 17 Adams Street in Bedford Hills. "We started baking and felt if people liked what we were doing, we would open up shop."
During the last 10 months or so, she's sold her goodies through the Mt. Kisco kitchen and to other establishments—, and , among others—building up a following and developing a brand.
White hopes to bring customers from the Mt. Kisco location—which will continue to serve as the main kitchen where treats are baked fresh daily—to the new shop. In the month that she's taken to refurbish the store, which fills the space vacated by , she said the response from locals has been nothing but positive.
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"We've had an open door so we could get to know the community—and many people have stopped in and said this type of shop is needed," said White, who added that community feedback has helped to shape the menu.
When one resident suggested she have an option for people needing a quick bite on their way to the train, White created "The Commuter Special"—any scone or muffin and a 12 oz. coffee for $3.00. For locals on their way home from the train or stopping in around lunchtime, she's brought in wraps and fresh pasta sauce from
And of course, there are treats. Plenty of them.
Hand-decorated cookies frosted in pink, green and brown—the colors White chose for the MeMe's brand. Fresh-baked cakes in three sizes and "cookie crowns" made from baking cookie dough in vintage tins and topping them with frosting and edible "jewels."
And the chunky dense cookie that started the whole MeMe's enterprise—dark chocolate walnut chunk.
"I used to eat that cookie back when I was in high school, at my boyfriend's house," said White, a Somers resident who grew up in Mt. Pleasant.
Now her high school sweetheart is her husband, and his mom—the baker—is her mother-in-law, one of the women in her life who inspired her to start her own business. The name "MeMe" is a term of endearment that she says embodies the spirit of her female support network.
These "crazy delicious cookies," as White calls them, are small, round and dense and come in 9 flavors, including a gluten free option and a whole wheat "power bite."
White said she's tried to do things a bit differently, offering some unique flavors like chocolate linzer tarts, and black and white cookies with a red velvet base. Customers are encouraged to bring their dogs—there's a doggie water bowl out front—and her homemade doggie biscuits will soon be available in an "ice-cream sundae," when gelato is added to the store's menu.
The shop has a cozy feel with its warm colors and hand-painted border created by local artist, Cheryl Bernstein. White put her design background to work in creating the logo and eye-popping packaging (see photos). There's seating for six in the front windows, which overlook Depot Plaza.
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For more information on Meme's Treats Bakery or MeMe's Kitchen, which offers children's birthday parties, call 914-358-5299. MeMe's Treats Bakery is open Mon. - Fri. 6 a.m. - 7:30 pm. and from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. on weekends.
