Meet Tiny Baker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiny Baker. Them and their team share their story with us below:

We have always been a very close family and have always done so much together – everything from traveling and vacations down to cooking. Tiny Baker, LLC, is a family-owned and operated small business bakery. We opened doors officially February 12, 2018, on First St. in Union City, Tennessee. There were only 3 of us when we first opened, but quickly added another family member to the business – Tom and Cindy McWilliams (Dad and Mom), Ana Edmaiston, and Jane Minnick. Dad, by career was a C.P.A., Mom our baker, Ana – our very incredibly talented cake decorator, and Jane our business manager. 

Our story first begins all the way back in 1994 when God called us to be missionaries and sending us down to Guatemala. While there, we were blessed in the opportunity to adopt Ana when she was just a day old. Over the next decade, we also lived and worked in several other countries in Eur-Asia before finally moving back home to the United States. During our travels abroad we got to see much and learn about these and other various incredible cultures and delicious foods. It has always been evident the skills and abilities God gave each of us and how we have been able to work together so well utilizing all of our gifts and talents. Ana graduated with honors from University of Arkansas -Pulaski Technical College with a degree in Baking and Pastry Arts having also won awards in various cake decorating competitions. Jane graduated with honors from University of Phoenix with a degree in Business Administration. God has always provided for us and opened the door for us to start a family business that we always dreamed of – and Tiny Baker was born. Sadly, we lost Dad to cancer back in March 2019, but we are incredibly grateful that he was able to help get us started and that he had the opportunity to see us grow and thrive the way we did. We know he would be so proud of how far we have come. We have now been in business for 4 wonderful years and have worked very hard to get where we are. Last year we were able to purchase our very own building with much more space and lots of history in our community. We worked very hard for nearly a year doing virtually all of the renovating and repairs ourselves and are incredibly proud of the end result. All of the hard work has paid off! We moved and opened in our new location on 3rd Street here in Union City, Tennessee just a few short weeks ago on January 14, 2022. We are VERY blessed to do what we love and with whom we love. Dad used to say so often “God is good ALL – the time, and ALL the time – God is good.” 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We think, especially with small businesses, there are always obstacles and challenges to overcome. Really, for the most part, other than the many hours unseen that have been worked, we have been truly blessed. We have overcome the many trials and expenses of opening and first-year business struggles, we have had to deal with not only the loss of one of the cornerstones of our family but an incredibly interictal part of our business, we have survived through Covid-19 and all the issues surrounding it, in having bought our very own building – we have survived paying 2 of everything (electric bills, water bills, insurance bills, etc.) for nearly a year on top of all of the costs of renovations and repairs and STIL:L were able to keep our heads above water while still maintaining our sanity! We have always lived by the mentality that if one is going to do something – do it with your whole heart and do it for the glory of God! It has been a long few years, but we can’t say it enough – we are and have been blessed. Time and time and time again God has proven and reinforced to us that He will ALWAYS take care of us. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Tiny Baker, LLC.?
Tiny Baker, LLC. is a family-owned and operated business. We are a bakery that offers a wide variety of baked goods but specialize in custom cakes. We can do everything from stock cookies (chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, oatmeal raisin, etc.), decorated sugar cookies, cupcakes, petit fours, cheesecakes, bread, cannoli, and tiramisu, to birthday cakes, wedding cakes, tiered cakes, carved and sculpted cakes. We are now currently even working on cakes that actually have parts! Virtually everything we do is homemade – made from scratch. 

Weddings are an important and intricate part of our business and we take great pride in being a part of a couple’s special day. We understand and want every detail to be absolutely perfect, especially the wedding cake. This is why we have a gorgeous room designated for wedding tastings and consultations where the bride and groom (and/or bridal crew) can sample their top 4 choices of cake flavors, fillings, and frostings and have the opportunity to discuss everything from size, design, delivery, etc. We believe in one-on-one interactions with our customers and want them to have the absolute best experience as possible. 

Not only do we make cakes, but we have so much fun hosting parties at our bakery. These parties are for children and adults alike! Most often these parties are celebrating a birthday, but certainly not always the case. Just recently we had a group of ladies in a book review club who often do various things together, come and decorate their very own mini cake. We have two different parties that we offer – the first being a pizza party where each participant gets their own pizza dough (again, homemade) that they get to flatten and add toppings to, eat, and then decorate and take home their very own 4-inch personal cake. The second kind of party we offer is just the cake – no pizza. All participants also get their very own cloth apron they get to keep and take home as well. We stay VERY busy with parties! 

Since moving to the new location, we have also started making and offering various soups and sandwiches, which has been a huge hit! To say we have been busy with those would be an understatement! We have had lots of fun expanding, learning, and growing. 

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Unique. That is a great way to describe all of us! 

Dad, Tom McWilliams, was a military kid growing up. He was one of three kids, being the only boy. Dad was ALWAYS incredibly intelligent. We all brag that our parents are they best and smartest, but Dad literally was one of those walking dictionary/encyclopedias. Dad had an MBA from Rutgers University and later became a C.P.A. Not only was he super-intelligent, he was an amazing people person – so genuine and was so respected. He always had a great work ethic and passed that trait along teaching it to us kids. He could absolutely be serious and almost intimidating, but he was so much fun. He loved watching football and playing games – both board and cards. 

Mom, Cindy McWilliams, grew up in a large family as she was one of six kids. They were a very musical family and as one can imagine, always stayed busy upkeeping the family and activities! Mom, as did Dad actually, both played the cornet, and both love to sing. Not only was Mom in band, but she was also in the Northmont Drill Team and was always very active and athletic. Even though she is older than us, she STILL runs circles around us! She has always been very smart and had an incredible work ethic. Mom graduated high school and like her mother before her, also became a nurse. She worked in labor and delivery all the way up until we left to move to Guatemala. She has always enjoyed cooking and baking (and has always been fantastic at it may I add!). 

Ana, since the day she was born, has always been very artistic and athletic. She, really unlike the rest of us, has always been very outgoing and social. She has dealt with quite a few hurdles in her young life that most the rest of us never have – going to a school in a foreign country having to learn and speak a different language, dealing with being adopted, living in and traveling in multiple countries around the world, etc. These experiences though helped shape her into the very talented and strong young lady she is now. Ana has always been athletic and played soccer throughout her life and in high school. She is and always has been very musical as well, really as is everyone in our family. She loves to sing and played the flute (as did Jane, and who taught her). She always has been the social butterfly and excelled in school, both in high school and in college graduating college with honors. From a very young age, she always enjoyed helping Mom with everyone’s birthday cakes and special occasion desserts (and was very good at it – obviously). A passion that she nurtured and developed into an incredible skill and has not only won several awards and competitions but is obviously now a very successful business! 

Jane loves to smile and making people happy. She also grew up loving music and playing sports. She enjoyed sports but especially loved volleyball, and was really good being one of the youngest players to win an MVP award during an international competition. Due to circumstances and travels, she homeschooled 8th grade and her junior and senior years of high school. She is driven and very organized and absolutely loves pictures and taking pictures – always has. We always joke she is the photographer and historian of our family. Jane has always enjoyed the ins and outs of business and ultimately that is what she got her degree in. 

Contact Info:

• Email: tinybakeruc@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tinybakeruc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tinybakeruc
• Other: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3qESnCXNRwrScjb87