Colleen Batson has been honing her baking and cake decorating skills over the past several years, one order at a time.

A graduate of Cape Fear Community College’s culinary arts program, Batson, owner of Beanie’s Bake Shoppe, worked for a number of Wilmington area restaurants while baking in her time off.

“It’s been a lot of trial and error,” Batson said.

When Batson opened Beanie’s Bake Shoppe in Burgaw last year, it served primarily as a production kitchen for specialty cake orders and a few wholesale accounts, including Brown Dog Coffee Company and Dees Drug Store.

Now, due to an uptick in business, she is moving the shop to Hwy. 210 in Rocky Point. At the new location, Batson will offer a wide variety of pies and cakes as well as individual bakery items such as cookies, cupcakes, brownies and breakfast pastries. She will also serve coffee from Magnolia Coffee Company of Charlotte.

The walls of Batson’s new shop are decorated with photographs of her specialty cakes and a variety of baking pans and utensils.

“If you ask my Dad, he’ll tell you that my cheesecake is the best thing I make,” Batson said. “But my triple chocolate cake and coconut cream pie have been my best sellers.”

Doors are set to open July 7.

Beanie’s Bake Shoppe is located at 13732 N.C. Hwy 210 in Rocky Point.

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