We had the good fortune of connecting with LaLa Walton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi LaLa, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have been baking and decorating cakes and cupcakes for almost 10 years now. My inspiration and hard work came from my grandmother, Martha Craine-Young. Martha baked for plenty of people in Mississippi, just because. She still visits from time to time. Unfortunately, in 2013, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and began to forget what to put in her cake recipes. That’s when she passed the torch to me along with her tips and tricks. Grandma Martha is known for being the sweetest person, and that how I operate my bakery today. I started my business to present my grandmothers gift of delicious sweets to my community. I want to give my community the joy to experience these LIFE GIVING sweets just as my grandmother did for decades.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What sets me apart from others in my industry is that I’m willing to teach others how to use their imagination when decorating cakes. My grandmother always taught me to be kind, dispense JOY and stay creative. Nothing was ever too big when it comes to imagination. Although, the bakery wasn’t easy to build to this point, creativity is the reason why we hosts the decorating classes. The world needs to continue to learn how to imagine, we need to dream. My bakery hosts decorating classes for ages 7 to even age 70. We provide space for the community to create their own piece of art and put their colorful, delicious vision on a blank canvas while also having a lot of fun.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First, I would take them to the best restaurant in town, ISH Bar and Grill. This place has the best wings, drinks, and live entertainment. Afterwards, I would take them to Buenos Aires to get warm churros and baked chocolate covered cheesecake. Then, we would go to Willis Day Spa and get a 2- hour massage to get ready for everything we will be doing for the rest of the week. Next, we would go to a cake decorating and wine class at Ooh LaLas Bakery. We will also go to King Kong to get some of the best Boba Teas in town. It’s so much that we would get into! I would take them to The Hideaway if they wanted to go to a real party. Lastly, I would take them to go see the sunset at the Reservoir and go fishing, along with a picnic and drinks at Cock of the Walk and rent out a boat and ride on the reservoir until the party is over.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The White Family took me in when I had nowhere else to stay.This family let me live rent free and support me when I was without a job. They still support me to this day. I’m so grateful for them!

Smiley Abrams from the Andy Abrams Foundation encouraged me to keep growing my business. Now we are building a second location along with a mobile bakery truck.

Ashley and Amanda Osborne created a space for me to start accepting order without the overhead charges. Ashley has supported me ever since I was in high school selling cupcakes and brownies. Amanda has always reminded me of what my grandmother has said about creativity and joy. Thank you all for your support!

Website: www.oohlalasbakery.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oohlalasbakery/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/oohlalasbakery?lang=en

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/100060895135351/

Image Credits
Ooh LaLas Bakery

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