Tasty Tuesday: Mrs. Joy’s seeking community help to keep doors open

The rising cost of goods has forced Tarsha Joyner to take on a part-time job just so she can keep her employees paid

LYNCHBURG, Va. – For the last decade, Mrs. Joy’s Absolutely Fabulous Treats has been known as the place to be for sweet treats in the Hill City.

Vickie Montgomery, who frequents Mrs. Joy’s, says a lot of its success has to do with its owner, Tarsha Joyner.

“She keeps everything on point.”

Whether it’s cookies, donuts, giant cinnamon rolls or pizza rolls, Joyner has it all down pat.

She’s used to the national spotlight too.

In 2015, Joyner won the Food Network’s Christmas Cookie Challenge.

In a previous interview, Joyner told 10 News, “Everybody likes treats, but not everybody knows how to make them – especially not like I do.”

Not to mention, she’s become TikTok famous with nearly 200,000 followers!

@missusjoy

#HappyBirthday Victoria!!! I’ll miss you this summer! #mrsjoys #mrsjoy I cleaned my phone before shooting. #DontComeForMe

♬ original sound - Tarsha Joyner

Most recently, however, Joyner took to social media to express potentially sad news.

“We need to do something different.”

She posted a video to Facebook, asking the community for ideas on how to keep doors open in the midst of difficult times.

News spread quickly. Shutting doors would come to the disappointment of many in the Hill City, including Vickie Montgomery.

“I would hate to see her close, but I can understand why.”

The cost for some ingredients has doubled - even tripled.

Joyner asks, “Can you imagine not being able to have sugar running a bakery? That’s just crazy!”

What may seem crazier is that she has taken on a part-time job just to make sure her employees still get paid.

As she tells us, “We have to give them hours or they’ll go somewhere else, and my employees are amazing so I don’t want them to go anywhere else.”

If you don’t want them to go anywhere else, you can help with the click of a button by ordering from Mrs. Joy’s website. You can also stop in to taste whatever she may be serving up that day - from quiche to cheesecakes or macarons to cream puffs.

Joyner also offers classes to pass along what she’s learned about baking and decorating over the years.


About the Author:

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.