It’s a sunny day in Glenwood Park, people are walking their dogs, chatting amongst themselves, and as you walk across from 424 Bill Kennedy Way, next to PINK Sky Boutique, you smell the sweet scent of fresh-baked goods and ice cream.
This sweet aroma comes from Westside Creamery’s Sweet Spot, owned by Debra and Llew Eastern, a husband-and-wife duo. Debra fell in love with baking at the age of eight in her hometown of Milwaukee.
On Saturday mornings, an elderly wheelchair-bound landlady who lived downstairs from Debra would direct her on how to bake homemade peanut butter cookies from the wheelchair. A year or so later, the woman became ill and gifted Debra the cookie recipe book from which she would bake her cookies.
“She insisted that I cherish the book because it had been handed down to her from her grandmother,” Debra said.
This moment was the catalyst for what would eventually become Westside Creamery Desserts, a unique business that combines ice cream, cookies, cakes, and gourmet popcorn, all served from a mobile food truck.
All these years later, Debra and Llew have served frozen desserts and baked goods across Atlanta’s metroplex and surrounding counties for over 11 years.
Debra’s journey to starting Westside Creamery was not without its challenges, however, and after years of dreaming about owning a bakery, the opportunity to purchase a mobile ice cream truck presented itself.
The original owner encouraged Debra to think bigger, asking her, “Why not offer all America’s favorite snacks: ice cream, cakes, cookies, and popcorn?” This is where Westside Creamery Desserts was born in 2014 as Atlanta’s first mobile dessert business.
In its beginning, Debra and Llew juggled the business with full-time jobs and other commitments. After nearly five years of business, Debra and Llew began considering expanding into a brick-and-mortar location. This is when they decided to seek aid from the Georgia MBDA Business Center.
Westside Creamery’s Sweet Spot
Located at 880 Glenwood Ave SE in Glenwood Park, Westside Creamery’s Sweet Spot specializes in homemade bakery, artisan hand-dipped ice cream to include vegan ice cream and non-dairy sorbet, floats, sundaes, Llew’s Brews (ice coffee prepared with freshly grounded coffee beans and their in-house (non-alcoholic) liqueur, blended with a scoop of ‘eyes-wide-open’ coffee ice cream).
They also offer a line of vegan bakery to complement their frozen vegan desserts and specialty whole cakes and pies are available with 72-hour advance order.
Westside Creamery began as Atlanta’s first dessert food truck in 2014, running seasonally until 2023. The Easterns, a retired college professor and a former middle school principal, opened a brick-and-mortar store named “The Sweet Spot”.
Known for its’ homemade pound cake and ice cream, the business employs former employees who started at 14, many now pursuing higher education. Debra said she also noticed a significant growth post-COVID, with demand tripling after a viral TikTok video.
Llew says the most important thing about this business is it’s what God gave them, and it is always “faith over fear,” a motto they’ve had on their food truck and now on their door inside the shop.
“All this came into fruition, and one thing happened after another. It was just us to begin with, and this entire thing has been a Godsend because he says in Jeremiah 29:11, I know what plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, and not to harm you,” he said.
The Easterns are committed to preserving and passing down baking skills, ensuring the legacy continues.
She also still has what’s left of the torn worn and tattered cookie book and cherishes it, alongside her first edition 1963Kenner’s Easy Bake oven and a few of her late mom’s antique baking gadgets which are all displayed at the Sweet Spot.
Also, Westside Creamery runs with a family-centric approach, emphasizing freshness and quality. They rejuvenate their offerings on Wednesdays, preparing new dough, cookies, and cakes.
The entire family and high school students collaborate on tasks like restocking, baking, and supporting the premises.
Debra says her 36-year-old son, Armon, came to her one day saying he wanted her to teach him how to bake, which threw her off kilter because she wondered why he didn’t ask when he was younger.
“I’m thinking to myself, ‘can I teach this old dog new tricks?’ which I was skeptical about, but I couldn’t deny him that opportunity,” she said. “I began showing him how to bake and tutored him.”
This turned into a huge bonding moment for the two where Armon could help with prepping, which helped Debra focus more on other things in the shop.
“I tutored him to bake a cake and allowed him to prep my flour and everything because most of the prep is very time-consuming, so when he turned that cake out of the pan, he was so proud, and I was so proud of him, so giving him the opportunity to hone those skills became a legacy,” she said.
Armon said he asked his mom to teach him how to bake because he always thought his mom had skill sets that would go perfect for a daughter, but she didn’t have one.
“She has so many skills sets that would go great with a daughter, but she doesn’t have one, and I didn’t want those skills to go to waste and not be passed down, even if or when I have children,” he said. “I want to be able to pass that legacy, and I want people to remember her for the things she’s good at.”
As Armon looks around the shop, he says he is proud of his parents as they have set out their visions and dreams and have executed them.
“My mom is a doer, and Llew is great support; he’s the backbone. My mom is the gas and Llew is the brake, she makes things happen, and he’s the control, they complement each other well, and that makes a successful team,” he said.
Debra says it is a full-circle moment from being eight years old and beginning to bake to now owning her own bakery, which she has always wanted to do.
“Some days I feel accomplished when I walk in the door having an awe moment, and other days, it can get overwhelming sometimes because after we went viral on TikTok with the cheesecakes and our perfect pair combination, demand skyrocketed,” she said.
She says she went from being able to get away with four-pound cakes a week to where now she’s up to 12 a week. Debra says she is currently looking for more bakers.
As for advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, Debra says you may have a degree in one thing, but it does not mean that’s not the end of your story.
“Never let go of your dream, whatever your passion is. Baking isn’t my job, it’s my passion. If you’re working within your passion, then you are more likely to succeed,” she said.
