Junction City Ky. woman is 'sweet' on new career

Following your dreams, big or small, requires a leap of faith. For Junction City resident Cindy Nevius, that meant leaving her job of 24 years as a dental assistant and starting a cake shop in Junction City.

“I went from taking care of teeth to giving them sugar,” she said with a smile.

Taking that chance wasn’t easy, but it was necessary for the woman who always has liked to bake. When what seemed like the perfect space came available on Shelby Street, she and her husband realized that now was the time to take the chance.

“I thought, ‘If I don’t try it, I’ll never know,’” Nevius said.

Now she knows and seems happy with the choice. Having the shop has enabled her to meet many of her fellow residents.

“I’ve met so many people this way. It’s been good,” she said.

Being accessible was something she sought out when she began the venture, and Nevius believes the community appreciates having her around.

Being located in the city has enabled her to help with local causes as well, such as recently selling Sesame Street-themed cupcakes in November to raise money for Junction City’s toy drive.

She also wanted her shop to be a “fun environment” for people to visit, which seems to bode well with the fact that Sweets by Cindy caters to those with a sweet tooth.

“When I opened the shop, I wanted it to be something where people could come in and get stuff all the time,” she said.

For that reason, Nevius tries to keep cupcakes available during regular hours, even if they are just chocolate or white.

Usually, she has about five different flavors on the shelves. It depends, Nevius said, on the cake requests she gets.

“I’ll just make extra and do cupcakes with that,” she said.

She decided to keep it simple by charging $1 for her cupcakes.

Cake baking began several years ago when Nevius began creating for friends, family and co-workers for birthdays and other events.

“The first birthday cake that I made was for a girl that I worked with, it was for her little boy. And I’ve made all of his cakes since then,” she said.

She has expanded into the world of wedding cakes, making multi-tiered cakes, getting creative with flowers and other details. Recently, Nevius was asked to create a groomsman cake based on a camouflaged rifle owned by the groom.

“I’ve had a lot of requests. Most of the time people are really good; they’re like, ‘see what you can come up with,’” Nevius said.

Part of her love of baking comes from her ability to try different things. She enjoys experimenting with flavors, which boast names such as Death by Chocolate and Chocolate Bourbon Pecan.

Buttercream icing is a staple for the treats.