By Emma Stone
Sweets by Sarah, a new Ruston bakery, has sold out almost every day since opening in June.
Sarah Castaneda, owner of Sweets by Sarah, offers a variety of baked goods from cupcakes to teacakes to cookies, something she had always dreamed of making into a business.
Now with customers lining up and her custom cakes being booked for a year, Sarah has made that become a reality.
“The second someone walks through that door, I want them to know they’re appreciated,” said Sarah. “I don’t want anyone to come in here, spend their hard-earned money and not feel appreciated.”
Growing up in south Ruston, Sarah’s love for baking began at a young age by helping her paternal grandmother in the kitchen.
“I remember standing next to my [grandma] on the kitchen chair and rolling the cookie dough,” said Sarah. “I loved cooking with her.”
Sarah’s grandmother had passed when she was 8 years old, so she worked to bring that home-feeling back with baked goods made completely from scratch.
“I do not want to take shortcuts and be able to produce more by going straight from the freezer to the oven,” said Sarah. “I do not want anyone to ever have a dry product, and if they sit out, baked goods dry out.”
Opening the bakery proved to be its own battle, but with hard work and dedication, Sarah got it up to code.
“We spent three to four hours up here more than our home to get everything lined up,” said Sarah. “It was a lot; it was very stressful. But we got it done.”
At 4:30 a.m. every day, Sarah is at her store baking the desserts and creating her swiss meringue icing she will be selling for the day.
Sarah said she leans on her friends and family with the overwhelming amount of support and hopes to include shelving.
By putting a lot of thought into her custom cake designs, she even offers themed sweets to match local Ruston events.
“The number of shares on my posts makes me get emotional, because this is my love language,” said Sarah. “When customers see that and get their product, it means the world to me.”
Sweets by Sarah is located at 740 Celebrity Dr, next to Tacos de Guero in Ruston. The bakery is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
