At Veronica’s Custom Bakery, the bond between family has become the unbreakable backbone of its business.
Veronica LaVere-Davis opened the restaurant in 2015 after her father, Steve LaVere, decided to sell the 222 Howard St. property that previously housed the Blue Parrot. The building was filled with most of the equipment needed to start another eatery, so Veronica’s mother, Regina, sold her on a fresh start.
“I said, ‘Yeah, OK, I’ll do it. But only if we just do cakes,’” recalled Veronica, who studied at the Le Cordon Bleu College of the Culinary Arts in Pasadena, California. “She’s like, ‘OK, but you know I have to do chicken-salad sandwiches.’”
By the time negotiations were over, Veronica’s had a diverse menu of lunch items and baked goods at its new location on West Park Avenue. Now the establishment is known across the Delta for its creative custom cakes.
The first year was far from easy, though. A few months after Veronica’s opened, Steve passed away. Just a few days later, Veronica went into labor with a premature baby. Somehow, with the help of generous relatives and understanding customers, the family business stayed afloat. Now it seems unsinkable.
“We’ve just been through so much together, and it’s made us so much stronger,” Veronica said. “And I appreciate the people in Greenwood so much for their support during that time because they knew what was going on — which isn’t something that happens in bigger cities. They were so patient and understanding. “
“Living in a small town means a lot,” Regina echoed. “I can go anywhere and someone’s going to be there to help me out.”
At Veronica’s current location in the Highland Park Shopping Center, there’s no shortage of helping hands. Along with Regina, there’s Veronica’s sister, Martha, who waits tables when she’s not working at the Leflore County Humane Society. Nieces Isabella and Olivia Vasquez lend support for Saturday brunch service. And Veronica’s daughter, Arya, has grown into a 5-year-old ball of energy who often offers free entertainment running around the restaurant.
“You pick up the slack for each other,” Veronica said. “When my dad was sick, (Regina) asked for help taking care of him. I could do that. You can’t necessarily do that with a partnership.”
The 36-year-old founder and her husband, Chris, are expecting their second child this fall and she will soon step away temporarily from baking to focus on her family. But for Veronica, it’s just another obstacle that her family is built to overcome.
• Contact Riley Overend at 581-7237 or roverend@gw-commonwealth.com. Follow @OverendOut on Twitter.
