Sweet Elephant Bestows its Luck on Lauren Connolly

Sweet Elephant Bestows its Luck on Lauren Connolly

By Linda Roberts

What is a Sweet Elephant? Probably not what you imagined, but park downtown in the county seat of Clarke County and let your nose lead you to “the sweetest place in Berryville.”

Laura Connolly with a very Sweet Elephant Treat.

Photo by Linda Roberts

Residents of Clarke County and the surrounding area know the Sweet Elephant bakery for its delicious baked goods, custom-designed cookies and cakes and its popular banana pudding, also found in the sweets case.

Lauren Connolly and her husband Larkin hit on the name some years back when Connolly was operating her bakery business out of her home kitchen and selling baked treats at the Berryville Farmer’s Market. Her orders had the kitchen and dining room of their home filled to overflowing, their home’s basement had become a kitchen, and the couple knew it was time to make a change.

“The business just kept growing,” says Connolly, a former purchasing manager for a building supply company, who grew up loving to stay in the kitchen and bake.

When the Connollys found that 23 West Main Street was up for sale they took the plunge and bought the building in 2020. Sweet Elephant came to life.

“I’ve always loved animals and the elephant’s upturned trunk is a symbol of good luck,” says Connolly. The name seemed to fit and a friend, Carla Grisi, helped with a logo, a slogan and other marketing items for the business.

Connolly fretted that the building, at about 700 square feet, might be too small for her growing business but the couple put in an offer anyway. “Our first offer fell through,” she says, but eventually they made another bid and the little building was theirs.

Now her mother, Sophee Mason, along with Julia Stang, Katie Rounds, Sue Wright and several parttime employees help Connolly fill a steady stream of orders for custom-designed unique cakes and special-order cookies along with staple sweets, which are always available for her walk-in customers. The banana pudding, a popular hit at Sweet Elephant, has its own place in her display case.

The majority of Sweet Elephant’s business is “grab and go,” says Connolly who keeps her display case filled with her take-out treats. She and her staff bake 20 to 30 dozen cookies a day and around that they are filling custom orders.

“We were a cookie company in the beginning,” says Connolly, who reflects that chocolate chip and molasses ginger snap are still among the favorites that her customers want. For customers who want a cup of coffee to drink on the spot with a scone or cookie, Sweet Elephant offers a small counter and stools.

The shop also promotes the wares of other local businesses. “We like to keep things local and try and support one another,” laughs Connolly. Cordial Coffee of Berryville and Lone Oak Coffee of Winchester along with Lynette Carlisle’s freeze-dried candies, called “Artic Delights” of Berryville may be found on the shelves. Across the street Homespun, the deli and farm market store, is a steady customer of Sweet Elephant’s cookies and brownies.

“I try to take Sundays and Mondays off,” says Connolly, who can be found in the shop Tuesdays through Saturdays as those are baking days. The bakery is open for customers from Wednesday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Connolly advises that custom orders need “about three to four weeks” advance notice and asks that brides place their orders for custom cakes “about five to six months” in advance.

Sweet Elephant: sweetelephantbakeshop@gmail. com; Facebook @thesweetelephant; or Instagram, @ thesweetelephantbakeshop.