Photo by Emma Sylvester for The Lafayette

Mia and Maddie’s offers desserts and flavors from around the world.

Looking for a sweet treat to get you through finals week? Look no further than Mia & Maddie’s Bakery, a newly developed storefront to satisfy all of your dessert needs.

The bakery, named affectionately after owner Dr. Eileen Newman’s two daughters, celebrated its grand opening earlier this month. It features a variety of treats including custom cakes, scones, pies and The Lafayette’s top-rated chocolate chip cookies. Sprinkled into the baked goods are influences from flavors around the world, as well as those of Newman’s Caribbean background.

“I’ve always traveled to the Caribbean to visit family and that kind of stuff,” Newman said. “Then as an adult, I like traveling also to explore new cultures and foods, and flavors. So my baked goods have those influences from all over the world; it’s not just traditional American vanilla cake. You’re gonna get a surprise. You’re gonna get something different that you can’t quite put your finger on.”

Although Mia and Maddie’s opening had been in the works for a while, it hadn’t always been Newman’s focus.

“I always loved baking, but my first passion was medicine,” Newman said. “I went to medical school and did all that, but through medical school, I would always bake, and I would always treat my friends to something sweet before we studied … It helped me relax and calm down and then get to business with the seriousness of medical school.”

In 2019, Newman decided to take a step back from working in hospital administration. After finding a job with an outside medical company, she began baking more and laid the groundwork for what would eventually become Mia and Maddie’s.

“I knew that this was something that I wanted to do, so I created a website and I started there … then we had the pandemic happen and nobody was getting anything from anyone, and I was dropping off cakes to people’s homes for Easter [and] that kind of stuff,” Newman said.

With the community she found through the pandemic and her online business, Newman was further pushed towards expanding her bakery into an actual storefront.

“I just wanted to be in farmers’ markets and have a food truck, and then I got into the Easton Farmers’ Market and met the most amazing people in the community that really encouraged me to come out and get a brick-and-mortar,” Newman said.

Once Newman discovered a “For Rent” sign in the window of a building on North Second Street, the rest was history.

Those who are in need of a delicious dessert can head down to the storefront at 34 N 2nd St in the Downtown area. More information on hours and menu offerings can be found at mia-maddie.com.