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The Sweete Shoppe
“Southern Hospitality, finely
baked, with icing on top”
Opening the front door of the
Sweete Shoppe tickles the nose
and calls to mind the memories
of childhood on the day before
any celebration. Delectable
scents of homemade pies, cakes,
pastries, candy and fresh made
bread greet each guest, offering
mere hints of what to
anticipate. The old-fashioned
lunch counter frames a view of
southern legends, including the
can’t-live-without standards
like pecan and buttermilk pies,
and lovely peaked meringues of
chocolate and coconut. It’s all
there - and more. The best of
yesterday, conjured in today’s
kitchen, through the vision and
talents of a special lady, Rita
Hughes.
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Like any young lady of the time,
young Rita helped stir and frost
her first culinary successes at
the knees of her mother. It was
there that she learned to master
fine southern cooking with fresh
ingredients, classic recipes and
maybe just a few family
secrets. As she married, and
began her own family, Rita
continued to hone her skills for
her lucky husband, children and
extended family. Another
southern culinary legend was in
the making. |
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In 1995, with the
kids becoming
teenagers, Rita
decided to turn her
talents into a small
business. Out of
this, the Sweete
Shoppe was born in
the form of a small
add-on kitchen
attached to the rear
of the family home.
As the name
reflects, the focus
of the day was
confections – Rita’s
delectable baked
goods and home-made
candies. And, what
is still her
signature today; the
mountainously
fluffy-topped
meringue pies, with
flakey homemade
crusts and fillings
of pure delight. |
Phone: 903.537.4454
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By word of mouth (excuse the
pun), demand for Rita’s baked
goods soon outstripped the
capabilities of her starter
kitchen. In 2002, it was time
to move. Relocating, the Sweete
Shoppe found its next home in
the historic district of Mt.
Vernon, right on the town
square. The larger setting,
with upgraded equipment, allowed
Rita to also showcase her
homemade breads with the
addition of daily breakfast,
lunch specials and sandwiches.
No longer just a bakery, the
Sweete Shoppe became a deli.
And, in the meantime, picked up
a brisk catering business.
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During that time,
four full-time
employees were
added, to
accommodate the
growing customer
base, which in
addition to the
regular walk-in
crowd, grew to
include a
respectable
business, party and
wedding following
clamoring for the
Sweete Shoppe’s
touch. It wasn’t
long before the
little shop on the
square began to
burst its seams with
activity and an even
larger facility was
called for.
The present day
Sweete Shoppe,
though still in Mt.
Vernon, is more
conveniently located
right off of I-30.
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The parking lot is spacious, for
the quick in-and-out customers
that want to grab a treat and
go, but the dining room has
swelled to a 70-seat luncheon
capacity. For special parties,
it’s configured to seat up to
150 guests.
The shop also has an extra
attraction, with the addition of
a store-front gift shop, owned
by Rita’s mother, Ruth Averitt.
Elegant crystal to whimsical
hand made items; this shop is a
definitive stop for home or
personal accessory fashionistas.
With discriminating taste Ruth
chooses fine collectibles such
as hand crafted and sculptured
Timmy Woods handbags. To
decorate the home, there is
plenty of elegant serviceware,
and an abundance of home
accessories to choose from
including lines from Arthur
Court Designs, Wedgewood and
Waterford, to name just a few.
The work of a few local artisans
it also easy to spy, as objects
fill almost every nook and
cranny.
See our Gift
Shop photo gallery.
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In the
near term, selected
items will be
available for
shipping, and we’d
be pleased to notify
you of that new
service.
To those who are
already long-time
customers of Sweete
Shoppe, we thank you
for your loyalty and
friendship. You’ve
made our business
our life’s
pleasure. To those
that have not
stopped by yet, we
hope to see you
soon. We’re
convinced, and we
think you will be
too that the Sweete
Shoppe is the
Angles’ choice for
“dinner-on-the-grounds”. |
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