I thought long and hard about this decision over the past 15 months.  Changes in business can be hard and costly, as most customers don't get too excited about them. When I bought Uptown in 2020, I already knew I'd be making a lot of changes to the menu and the space, so I didn't want to come in as the newbie and do something I might regret. As I observed the current customer base and the trends, I realized there were a lot of people who loved this little bakery and had adapted a routine of visiting it often for a yummy treat. They loved what Uptown Sweet Shoppe had become to them and they loved the previous owner. There was something special about that. Even though I wasn't her and did things a lot differently, I decided to honor what she had built and try to earn for myself the same trust from her existing customers. I hoped that if the name stayed the same, even with all the other changes happening, they would still feel like it was somewhat familiar and learn to love it just as much. I didn't succeed with keeping all of those customers (many of them never forgave me for cutting her cinnamon rolls!) But I'm grateful for the ones that did stick with us and even more grateful for the new ones we've gained along the way.

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It's those customers, who keep coming back again and again, that have inspired and given me the confidence to continue evolving and bringing my full authentic self to this bakery. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the name "Uptown," but the new name is unique and different and it's all mine! That motivates and excites me to lead this business in a fresh and fun direction that I pray will benefit Amarillo! The name change is only the beginning. As you can see the top right tab of our new website, we'll be bringing some fun new things this year. I hope you'll stay tuned!  

It's those customers, who keep coming back again and again, that have inspired and given me the confidence to continue evolving and bringing my full authentic self to this bakery.

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