Since she took over The Bake Shoppe in 2009, Melissa Newbould has worked to put her personal stamp on the restaurant, whether it be through unique decor or decadent homemade desserts.

"I put my heart and soul into everything here," Newbould said. "When people come, I want them to feel like they're not just at a cafe—I want it to be a place where they can bring their family and friends and make memories."

When Newbould took ownership of the restaurant, the walls were lined with deer heads, ring-tailed cats, ducks and a goose in full flight, which was nowhere close to her personal style, she said.

Newbould took her love for antique shopping at Round Top and used it as inspiration for the restaurant's decor, which is modeled after the style of the Junk Gypsy Company.

"My husband went out of town for the weekend and begged me not to do anything different because the rule is that when you buy a restaurant you're supposed to leave it the way it is for a year," she said. "We worked until 5 a.m., and I had gone crazy. I thought he would, too, after he saw the place, but after we did, it completely changed the whole restaurant."

After the remodel, The Bake Shoppe began to host baby showers, wedding showers and other receptions. The restaurant hosts two or three parties every weekend, and the space is booked through next March, Newbould said.

All of the food served at The Bake Shoppe is made fresh, from the bread used for sandwiches to the icing on top of the cupcakes. The cafe's commitment to freshness stems from Newbould's childhood when she would cook dinner for her family.

"Everything we did—and maybe it was having that Louisiana background—was fresh and had flavor and had a lot more love in it than anything else," she said. "Everything is homemade here, and I take a lot of pride in that."

Customers can find many variations of comfort food at The Bake Shoppe. Open for lunch six days a week, the restaurant offers daily specials like chicken and dumplings and king ranch chicken along with sandwiches, salads and wraps.

Apple tarts, brownies and lemon bars are just a few customer favorites, in addition to bread pudding that has to be custom-ordered, Newbould said.

In addition to managing the restaurant, Newbould plans to launch a food truck in the next few months. Called "Eat Your Heart Out," the truck will be available for weddings, catering, private parties and festivals, she said.

"It's going to be over the top, and I'm very excited about that," Newbould said.

Owner recommendations

Sweet Connie's grilled chicken salad—Grilled chicken is served on top of spring mix lettuce, feta cheese, Craisins, homemade dressing. ($10.99)

Southwestern wrap—A tomato basil wrap is filled with grilled chicken, bacon, black bean and corn salsa, cheese, lettuce, tomato and jalapeo ranch dressing. ($11.50)

Chicken salad sandwich—Dish is served on wedge-size homemade bread with mayonnaise, and it comes with a homemade chocolate chip cookie and the choice of a salad, chips or carrot sticks. ($9.50)

Chicken tortilla soup—Homemade soup is served in a cup or bowl with a chocolate chip cookie and bread. ($4.95–$6.95)

Cakes and desserts

The Bake Shoppe whips up a variety of fresh sweet treats on a daily basis, ranging from the shadow cake to apple tarts and lemon bars. The Ding-Dong cake is one of the most popular options.

Although the dessert was created by a previous owner, Newbould and her pastry chef stayed up through the night working to tweak the chocolate dessert's recipe when she took over the business in 2009.

"We stayed up making chocolate cake mix after chocolate cake mix and kept playing with it," Newbould said. "I feel like we completely perfected it."

The Bake Shoppe

12724 Grant Road, Cypress 281-320-2253, www.bakeshoppeandcafe.com

Hours: Mon. 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Tue.–Fri. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat. 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m.