Cookies, Coffee, and Conviction at Sweet LaLa’s

Something Sweet as (Self) Care

We’re living in a “treat yo self” world these days, and who can blame us? In our fast-paced society with packed out schedules, it can feel necessary to get yourself a little pick-me-up whenever you head out the door. Thanks to a bakery with lots of heart in East Memphis, that little treat you splurge on can have big impact on the local community. Meet Sweet LaLa’s Bakery!

Sugar for Sharing

In 2014, Memphis native Lauren Young (Sweet LaLa herself) decided to take her passion for home baking up a notch. As a woman of faith, Lauren jumped on the opportunity to teach life and work skills and offer second chances to kids in need. By partnering with the local ministry JIFF (Juvenile Intervention and Faith-based Follow-up) to bake out of the juvenile detention facility, Young could offer paid positions to kids caught up in juvenile delinquency, teach them how to bake, how to work on a team, and how to pave a sweet path towards their own success. Young’s vision resulted in job opportunities for over 120 local youth, countless stories of teens finding their footing after incarceration, and a real impact on the wider Memphis community.

A Space for Mission

By 2019, Young was ready to open her very own bakery. Her brick and mortar space in the Regalia shopping center promised to be the heartbeat of something new…a place to highlight small business brands, especially those with a mission for the under-resourced both locally and globally, that would join forces right alongside Young’s delicious desserts. A visit to Sweet LaLa’s bakery would mean enjoying quality baked goods, supporting the staff team as many of them pursued their second chances, and giving towards the vision of other local non-profits. 

Sweet LaLa’s Surprises

The beautiful thing about Sweet LaLas is that it's a quality bakeshop that happens to have an intentional mission for others. Dropping into the bakery for one of Young’s stunningly decorated sugar cookies (her original recipe), a delicious gluten-free sweet, or a latte means finding a bright, lovely space that invites you to sit down and sit a spell with a friend, tackle some work on your laptop upstairs in the loft space, or do some reading at the counter by the window. 

The sweets do not disappoint (gigantic rice krispie treat, anyone?), and neither do the salad and sandwich options for lunch. Of course, you can custom order a cake, cookies, or cupcakes for a special occasion, but dropping in to be surprised by whatever gorgeous cookies have made their way into the bakery case is always a treat itself. And with a barista always on hand, you can top off that treat with a locally roasted coffee. The house brew is Vinculo, a brand that builds relationships and connections with coffee farmers all over the world, linking them with Memphis nonprofits.

While the baked goods tempt your sweet tooth, a collection of locally produced food items and gifts will tempt your wallet. Everything from ceramics to honey to art pieces line the shelves and offer plenty of ways to support a variety of missions. In fact, there is nothing to buy at Sweet LaLa’s that won’t help the people of Memphis in some way, and that…well, that’s some self-care we happily indulge in.