TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A Tallahassee bake shop has been bringing joy and memories for generations of families.
Tasty Pastry was founded in 1963 by the Cross family.
"My dad was a long time bakery, and I would say the bakery business was really his dream," Owner of Tasty Pastry Mark Cross.
Cross said he grew up in the store, spending days after school cleaning dirty pots and pans.
"My parents operated the shop as a mom and pop bake shop," Cross said. "My dad was in the back making cakes and my mom was in the front decorating them."
In a time where the population size of Tallahassee was 42,000 people, Cross said he spent most of his childhood at the store that he now runs.
"We started with 12 workers, and now we have 26. We've doubled the business," Cross said.
Cross said his employees have become part of his family.
In the front of house, customers are still greeted by Mark's mom, at 88 years old, she watches as people are like "the old kid in the candy shop".
Cross said they used 1,000 pounds of flour and about 600 pounds of sugar a week. These ingredients make sweet pastries that have filled homes for generations in the Capital City.
This is a tradition Cross plans to keep alive.
"People ask if I'm going to retire, and I'm like well my mom still works here everyday, so if she's here I better stick it out a few more years," Cross said.
In a sweet shop that is Totally Tallahassee.
