A sweet only-in-America story at VB bakery

Regina Mobley
·2 min read

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — If your heart pitter-patters a bit when you see decadent desserts, a fair advisory is issued for the Plaza Bakery and Cafe in Birchwood Commons in Virginia Beach. The storied almond wedding cake petit fours triggers emotion and memories.

“The almond petit four is a square of almond wedding cake and it’s hand-cut with our fondant,” said owner Cristal Spellman said at her new Princess Anne Plaza location. And then we also decorate it with a little rosebuds. So that has been around since 1959.”

Petit fours have been part of several significant memories for customer Nancy Torrisi.

“When I was little we used to go to the first location and we would get the petit fours,” Torrisi said before she whisked off with a box of Plaza treats. “They were always a big deal at our house but when I got married they [Plaza Bakery] made my wedding cake.

Since relocating from the Laskin Road area to Princess Anne Plaza, traffic has been non-stop at the retooled Plaza Bakery and Cafe. In October 2020, Cristal Spellman bought Plaza Bakery from the Freeman family, which opened the business in 1959.

“I think about 1959 — Jim Crow era. Black customers showed up,” Freeman said. “They had to go to a side door. You couldn’t come in and sit in a restaurant. And I believe that, for me, being an African American woman business owner is something that’s really, really huge. I never envisioned that Plaza would be what I would own.”

The new location represents a homecoming of sorts. The 1959 bakery was located on what is now the area of a nearby local supermarket and big box retailer in Princess Anne Plaza.

On the 16th day of Women’s History Month, dignitaries will be on hand for the grand opening. Spellman’s personal recipe includes pride, mixed with love and perseverance.

“For me, being an African-American women business owner is something that’s really, really huge,” Spellman said. “I’m honored; I believe that it’s a huge blessing and there’s so much that we can do with Plaza. I’m just so excited about what we can do moving forward, Spellman said.

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