After drawing lines of hundreds of people to local farmers markets, a 19-year-old Houston baker is bringing her sweet and decadent treats to a permanent space. Niayah Hicks, the founder of Starr Bakery, announced she will be opening a brick-and-mortar version of her popular pop-up soon.
The new Starr Bakery will be in Missouri City, but Hicks is backing away from sharing the specific address until the space is built out. She said a grand opening is scheduled during the fall. Until then, she’ll continue to sell her signature cinnamon rolls, cookies, cakes and coffees at different pop-ups around Houston.
Hicks told Chron a physical bakery has been a dream in the making. Even at seven years of age, she knew she wanted to open a store and have multiple locations.
“It first started by me just pretty much baking at home and posting videos,” Hicks said. “I’ve been posting on social media for a decade, every single day, and then that blew up.”
Hicks’ love for art led her to baking, according to her website. What began as a hobby turned into a “full-blown passion” when she, her father, and her grandmother launched Starr Bakery LLC at the age of 13. She later began selling baked goods at school and local farmers markets in 2022, gaining hundreds of thousands of followers across multiple social media platforms.
“It honestly feels like a dream come true, and all of the hard work that we’ve put in is finally being shown to light,” Hicks said. “I’m really grateful for it, and I’m just happy that we have the support that we do have, and we’re able to finally get a storefront.”
Since sharing the news of her first bakery, Hicks has been met with an outpouring of support on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, with hundreds of comments congratulating her on the bakery’s big move.
“CONGRATULATIONS!!!,” one person commented on Instagram. “My mom and I waited in line for 3 hours this weekend and it was worth every minute!!! So happy for you!!!”
Similarly, another TikTok user wrote: “Yesss I’m so ready to go pickup some cinnamon rolls every week.”
While Hicks hasn’t publicly shared more about the bakery, she did tease that its menu will be made up of a lot of her popular goodies, including the cinnamon rolls, cookies, and brownies along with coffee, wedding cakes and soft serve ice cream too.