Family, friends and the Dunn Area Chamber of Commerce were all in line bright and early for the official ribbon cutting of a new bakery on one of Dunn's main roads on Friday, Oct. 2.

Richard's Sweet Tooth & Special Occasions has officially cut the ribbon on its new storefront located at 1203 W Cumberland St. in Dunn. The bakery is the work of Co-owner and Co-founder Shoshona Heck, who has been baking in the area since 2012. 

Known for her cheesecakes, cookies, dessert cups, fresh lemonade and more, Shoshona started her labor of love after losing her grandfather and the bakery’s namesake, Richard McNeill Jr. 

“When everyone went back to their normal life of school and work after he passed, my new normal was home. I find therapy in cooking. I used to cook every day. When the kids came home from school, they had a four-course meal and a dessert. What we didn't finish, I'd always just give away and start over the next day because that was my therapy. My best friend started calling me Betty Crocker,” shared Shoshona. “I had given so much away, then people started asking, ‘How much would you charge me to make this?’ And ‘How much would you charge me to do that?’ So it became a business on its own.” 

“A lot of it is due to my wife's imagination and the customer's imagination. So a lot of them give her free rein and that's that's how it's been. So the creativity has always been there, and it comes a lot from the customers as well,” shared Co-owner and Co-founder Sherod Heck. “She's like one of those savants. I think she's one of those people that was born with that gift.” 

The brick-and-mortar store marks a milestone for the brand. What started out as a kitchen table business later grew into a mobile operation with the purchase of a food trailer by her husband in 2020. The Hecks operated out of the trailer from 2020-2026 before finally finding her new home on Cumberland Street. 

Shoshona shared that the day of the ribbon cutting and new location have significant meaning to her and her family. 

“It means a lot that we were able to do the ribbon cutting [today]. We did it on his [Richard’s] birthday, so we get to celebrate him,” shared Shoshona. “It means a lot to know that he's not here physically, but in spirit. I know he's smiling down on us and knowing that, hey, we did it.” 

Shoshona said that her favorite thing on the menu is the blueberry cheesecake, but she doesn’t tend to eat many of her own creations. Instead, she chooses to rely heavily on customer feedback and a group of loyal taste testers to see what to sell next. 

“I want someone else to try to tell me what they think. So if they try and they don't do that head jerk or that eye roll or that smile, then I need to try something different. Then I may try it to see what I need to redo,” shared Shoshona. “Because I know if I try it, then I may want to change something, and if it's already selling as it is, I don't want to ruin it.”

The Hecks shared that they are excited to have a new home and will continue to attend events and expand. 

"It's been amazing just with the love and support from people. It's one of those things where I can't really describe it because it's like God, I thank you. At first I felt overwhelmed. I was like, ‘Can I keep up with this?’ And then I thought about it. I asked for it. I prayed for it. So now I just ask God to make sure I don't squander it. So we've just been rolling with it, and I'm enjoying it,” concluded Shoshona. 

Richard's Sweet Tooth & Special Occasions is open Friday from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. and Monday through Thursday for pickup only. For more on what’s available each week, follow the baking on their Facebook page.