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A P R I L / M A Y 2 0 1 7 M A C O N M A G A Z I N E | 91 Tonya Sadler The Casserole Shop & Bakery, Caroletta's Cakes 4420 Forsyth Road | 478.757.0074 thecasseroleshop.com | carolettascakes.com *** The Casserole Shop & Bakery will be celebrating 25 years in business next year. Tell us some of the history. It is only fitting to acknowledge the original mastermind and former owner of The Casserole Shop, Allison Carroll. This lady had a great idea and a deep passion for home cooking. In October of 2010, I visited The Casserole Shop as a first-time customer. When I found out the business was for sale, I knew it was the right time and the right opportunity for me. A week later it was mine. Then a short year later, Caroletta's Cakes, another home grown Macon business, was purchased and the bakery really began to expand. In 2014, a full-service bakery was added to the exisitng space in The Vineville Shopping Crossing Center. In addition to casseroles, fresh donuts, petit fours, pastries and cookies were added. We serve a lot of people at The Casserole Shop & Bakery. In many ways, they all feel like family. They trust us to prepare their evening meals, bake their birthday cakes, and make recommendations, according to their family's food preferences. Our job is to make life a little easier for them! What is most rewarding to you? I love the way a mother's eyes light up when she opens the box to see her child's birthday cake, doing gender-reveal cupcakes, planning a dinner menu for a beautiful wedding, or helping a father choose a casserole for his kid's dinner. We get to be a part of the memories that family and friends are making in life. We develop long-term relationships with our customers, and it makes my day a little brighter serving each of them. What are some of your challenges? The fact that I bought The Casserole Shop after only one visit is evidence that I like a good challenge. We will always offer comfort food, but we also want to cater to those people who have special dietary needs. That's why we just started Whole Table Foods, so there's food at the table for the whole family. I know there will be bigger challenges up ahead, and I'm incredibly thankful that I have such an amazing team of talented people who are investing in my vision. Their work ethic makes me be even more determined to see The Casserole Shop be around for another 25 years! How are you involved in the community? We've been partnering with United in Pink for many years delivering meals to families affected by breast cancer. To show appreciation for their service, Bibb County Law Enforcement has dined in for a meal on us! We also donate food to DayBreak. Because of my customers' on-going support and encouragment it is not only my duty but my privilege to give back to the community. Women In Business