As I entered The Sweet Fix, I was immediately greeted with warm smiles and speedy service. Scents of freshly-baked treats filled my nostrils: sweet vanilla, sugary batter and delectable pies.
The shop was filled with vibrant colors, handwritten menus and adorable holiday decorations. Right away, I felt a balance between an “at home” feeling and a professional space.
Located on the corner of Lee and Silsby Road, The Sweet Fix is a warm and welcoming bakery serving various delicious baked goods.
The Sweet Fix is owned by Robert and Allison Craig, who officially opened the business in 2016. Allison Craig described the thought process that paved the way for the successful bakery.
“My husband and I both come from a family of bakers,” Craig explained. “We would always bake holiday desserts for family members, and we started a home-based bakery just kind of like a little part-time side job at the end of 2014 called Craig’s Divine Desserts.”
…they asked us if we had ever thought about opening a brick-and-mortar bakery. We had not, but after some thought and prayer, we decided why not? Let’s give it a try.
— Allison Craig
Craig then recounted the transition from their home bakery to an official business.
“Fast forward to 2016, and my husband’s cousins had a business in the place that we are now, and they were moving to a larger location,” she said. “They were in the middle of their lease, and they asked us if we had ever thought about opening a brick-and-mortar bakery. We had not, but after some thought and prayer, we decided why not? Let’s give it a try.”
“So, we took over their lease and we opened up The Sweet Fix in October of 2016,” she added.
Today, The Sweet Fix has been in business for seven years under their current name, but has been in business ten years overall. Mrs. Craig’s case also has a full-time job, and so balancing work with the business can often be arduous. Craig detailed how she manages to control both effectively.
“[I balance them] very delicately. Having my husband there now full time is great; I’m part time there, and then we have a great team,” she said. “We have a full time manager, another full time person, and then we have people who we can pull upon for special events, just on an as-needed basis.”
“It is important to have people you can trust and who can step in and take over some responsibilities for you,” she said. “It’s not easy, and it hasn’t been easy, but we just keep trying.”
“Some of our most popular dishes would be our peach cobbler, our sweet potato cheesecake as well as our regular New York style cheesecake, our red velvet cupcakes and our Oreo pie.”
Based in Cleveland Heights, the Sweet Fix is conveniently located in a friendly, walkable neighborhood. The Cedar-Lee district is home to a wide array of small businesses, including restaurants and shops. Furthermore, the area is home to Cleveland Heights High School, Heights Library and Dobama Theatre, which present the bakery with a lot of walk-in traffic.
Craig explained why they ended up staying in Cleveland Heights.
“It wasn’t like we chose it; it was almost like they chose us,” she said. “My husband’s family was there [operating a burger restaurant] named Black Box Fix, and then they went to a larger location, and they approached us.”
“It ended up being a great location because it’s a great walking area and you get a lot of traffic,” she added. “It was kind of like divine intervention.”
Being a small business, finding the perfect job candidates can sometimes be challenging. Unlike chain businesses, small businesses are often defined by their quality of customer service and friendliness, so finding welcoming employees is essential. Additionally, finding hard working employees who put maximum effort into their job is crucial. Craig explained how The Sweet Fix chooses who to hire.
“You just have to try to choose people who, first and foremost, you can trust, and that are–I mean, nobody’s going to be as passionate about your own business as you are–but at least people who care about your business,” she said. “We’ve had some part time people who have come and gone, and we [still] have some part time people, like our original person that worked with us, he still helps us.”
“So even though he has started out with us, and even though he’s taken on another full time job, we [still] call him for a project, or we call them to come help us in a crunch,” she continued. “Having people that you can depend upon and trust [is important]. You just have to be careful because not everybody is a good fit.”
You just have to try to choose people who, first and foremost, you can trust and … who care about your business
The Sweet Fix offers an assortment of treats, ranging from ice cream to cake to peach cobbler. Craig listed some of the most requested sweets at the bakery.
“Some of our most popular dishes would be our peach cobbler, our sweet potato cheesecake as well as our regular New York style cheesecake, our red velvet cupcakes and our Oreo pie,” she said.
As I browsed the bakery offerings, I debated between buying my usual Oreo Pie and trying something new, a creative mix between a chocolate chip cookie and an oreo, or a brownie. Although the Oreo Pie was appealing, I ultimately chose the brownie.
Although I saved it for a few days, the brownie still surprisingly tasted fresh when I ate it. The soft and flavorful chocolate almost melted in my mouth. I enjoyed it with a bowl of vanilla ice cream, which I would strongly recommend, as the sugary vanilla was a perfect blend with the rich chocolate.
If you have a sweet tooth, I urge you to try The Sweet Fix. With a wide variety of yummy treats to choose from, you are destined to find the perfect dessert for you.
