LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — In 1989 Mickey’s Cakes and Sweets was opened as the first Black-owned commercial bakery in Arkansas. While some things have changed over the decades, the legacy of Mickey and her famous recipes lives on.
Using a special recipe and unique technique, Mickey’s quickly established itself as a premier bakery for special occasions like weddings and birthday cakes.
Over the years their menu would expand to include staples like brownies, cookies, and single slices of their popular mouth-watering cake.
Dorothy Coleman worked as Mickey’s general manager and head baker until purchasing the bakery from Mickey Young herself in 1997.
Since then she’s handcrafted thousands of cakes for all sorts of occasions, from weddings and anniversaries to birthdays and retirement parties.
While you can still find Dorothy working at the bakery, she sold it in December of 2022 to Jasmine Waters.
Jasmine purchased the historic bakery on one condition— that Mrs. Dorothy continues to work there.
As a young Black entrepreneur, Jasmine is proud she now owns the very eatery that has such a rich history.
“Yes we are Black-owned, and that is a big deal for me as a young Black woman. However, Mickey’s is a family-oriented restaurant. Everybody here is family,” Waters said.
Mickey’s isn’t just for those planning a special occasion. Their display case is full of freshly baked cookies, brownies, pies, and individual slices of cake.
Their best seller is called a “cake tort”. Think of this as a deconstructed piece of cake in a bowl. Hard to imagine? We thought so too. Trust us though, and go try it.
Mickey’s is located at 11121 N Rodney Parham Rd, Suite 14A in Little Rock, in the same neighborhood they have called home for years.
To view their menu, hours of operation, or to order ahead visit their website here.