Dolce Bakery – the Prairie Village-based purveyor of all things baked and delicious – is celebrating 10 sweet years of business this month.

Owner Erin Brown opened her store in the Prairie Village Shops when she was just 23 years old.

“I was terrified about almost every aspect of opening the business,” Brown said. “But I knew this community needed a beautiful bake shop—a place to meet for a great cup of coffee and a warm cinnamon roll, a place to confidently order a birthday cake for family, a place that was committed to consistently baking delicious scratch-baked goods, and a place that made customers truly feel welcomed.”

Brown’s fans literally ate up Dolce’s cupcakes, bars, cookies and other treats. To keep up with ferocious demand, the bakery moved to a larger space about four years ago. (She shared advice on moving locations in this Thinking Bigger Business article.)

“I took the time and chose the person to handcraft the woodwork, set up flexibility in the kitchen so that we could shift things around as needed for production and finishing, furnished the cafe area in a way that welcomes people into our cozy, happy place, and even decided to do a complete rebrand,” Brown said.

What began as a neighborhood shop has earned an enthusiastic following across the city, including winning KCSourceLink’s Battle of the Brands in 2015.

For Brown, though, the customer relationship is what matters most.

“While a customer may step through the door for an orange roll, they choose us to bake their engagement party cake, and then their wedding cake, and then their gender reveal cake, and then their baby shower treats, and then their baby’s first birthday smash cake,” Brown said. “We also bake when there is deep loss and sadness. I love being here when they need us the most.”