Mrs. Joy’s Absolutely Fabulous Treats in Lynchburg, VA

(This article appeared in the Fall 2021 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)

Tarsha Joyner, Owner

Company Mission

We provide high quality treats that taste as absolutely fabulous as they look!

Signature Products

The Big as Yo Head Cinnamon Rolls bring customers in every day; our glazed donuts are legendary; and our signature candy bar, The Peanut Butter Thumb, tastes like a Butterfinger, but better.

Production Tip

We used to just make donuts with our donut dough, but we had lots of scraps to throw away – you can only roll donut dough once. After that, it’s too tough for donuts. We started using the excess dough to make cinnamon rolls, which have become one of our best sellers. Any extra scraps, cinnamon and sugar, or flour left on the table is combined to make fruit fritters.  We use EVERYTHING!

Equipment ‘Must-Haves’

I can’t live without my 30-quart Hobart.  We have two 20-quart Hobarts, but the 30-quart we use every single morning for dough. It powers through everything (especially cold butter), and mixes everything beautifully.  It is important to have a good mixer that mixes thoroughly. I also have a commercial immersion blender, which is a time saver for sure.  We use it to make glazes, puree fruits, make sauces, make quick work of ganache, and so much more. Without it, we’d have to pull out the blender or food processor which are waaaay harder to clean.

Secret of Success

I don’t really worry about what everyone else is doing. I focus on my business and how to do better than what I did yesterday. It’s hard to focus on your business when you are always looking at everyone else. Our main concern is our treat-seekers – figuring out what they want.  When you find that out, don’t deviate from it. They will let you know, you just have to listen.  Just remember you can only do what you can do, so don’t listen to everything. Don’t try to jump on every trend.  Most are fleeting, THANK GOD!

Future Goals

We recently started selling The Big AF Cookie nationwide, exclusively online. (‘AF’ stands for ‘Absolutely Fabulous’, of course.) We make the best cookies! And we think the world should know. Over the holidays we add items like caramels, our signature candy bar called the Peanut Butter Thumb, toffee, brittles, and millionaires’ shortbread.

Visit https://mrsjoys.com/ for more info