Sisters Pursuing The American Dream One Cupcake At A Time



Kathy Burke and Mary K. Oney



The current economic trouble the United States is experiencing has brought a gloomy and pessimistic mood to many of its citizens.  Many people are without jobs and are clearly hurting.  As some countries around the world appear to be growing and thriving, a lot of Americans seem to have given up, convinced that this country’s best days are behind it.

Observing the current negative attitude among many folks these days, it’s always nice to meet people that share a much different view.  Entrepreneurs are the ones who initially built, and have historically sustained, a strong economy for the United States.  They are in a class by themselves.  They see a world of possibilities, even in troubled times.  By nature and by temperament, they are proud, positive, energetic, and enthusiastic.  They believe in themselves, and what they can achieve.  And, most important of all, they never give up.  I found two living examples of this recently at the Oldsmar Flea Market.

Mary K. Oney and Kathy Burke are sisters.  Originally from Ohio, they learned a lot about life from their great-grandmother, Ida Mae, including the love of baking.  As adults, Mary and Kathy pursued their own separate lives and careers, as most siblings do.  Mary, after moving to Florida, worked for the City of Dunedin.   Kathy spent her career working in a factory in Ohio.  But through the years, these two sisters never forgot about Ida Mae, each other, or their love of baking.  And, they are now reunited with each other as bakers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. 

After Mary left her job with the City of Dunedin, she wanted to fulfill her dream.  That dream was attending the culinary arts program at The Art Institute of Tampa, with a focus on baking and pastry.  Like most entrepreneurs, nothing could get between Mary and her dream, and she successfully completed a one year program to become a pastry chef.  One of her proud accomplishments as she was completing her studies at the institute was creating a cookie tree several feet high.  Mary showed me a photograph of the cookie tree she made.  It was impressive to look at, and I’m quite sure tasted even better. 

Kathy was still back in Ohio when Mary was undergoing her transition from city employee to baker. Kathy, like her sister, always liked to bake, and the delicious results of her baking was appreciated by everyone who knew her in Ohio, friends and family alike.  One night, Kathy said, “I had a dream about baking with Mary,” and she soon relocated to Florida to join her sister.

The two began selling cupcakes under the name, “Sweet Ida Mae’s,” at the Fresh Market at Seminole Mall, as a respectful tribute to their great-grandmother.  But, early last fall, they decided to move to the Oldsmar Flea Market, a flea market which bills itself as “The Mightiest In The South.”  When they opened their booth in Oldsmar, they initially sold cupcakes, cookies, chocolates, candy, barrel bread, and popcorn.  Recently, however, because of certain restrictions, they have been informed that they can only sell a more limited number of items.  As a result, Mary and Kathy now focus almost exclusively on their own baked cupcakes, and the barrel bread which is baked by Giovanni’s Bakery in Largo.  Having to cut back on what they can sell might have devastated the spirit of some people, but not these two ladies.  And, while they are a little disappointed, it only makes them more determined to succeed.

Despite this recent setback, the sisters have big plans for the future.  One of their goals is to open a storefront bakery in Safety Harbor.  Mary said that they eventually want to get to a point where they can “employ people.”  She believes that the economy will only begin to recover when small business owners flourish again and start hiring.  She said, “I want to bake my own bread, hire drivers, and help the economy.”  Her sister Kathy couldn’t agree more.

In addition to their booth at the flea market, and a small but growing catering business for weddings and the like, Mary and Kathy have other plans.  They recently went to Ohio to purchase an old, retired, bomb squad truck which they intend to refurbish into a mobile food vehicle once they can afford to do so.  The thought of these two energetic and determined women driving down I-75 in a bomb squad truck would bring a smile to your face if you knew them. 

The cupcakes Mary and Kathy bake are delightful works of art. Of course, they are both outstanding bakers, and, they are both very creative.  In addition to the colorful and artistic frosting designs topping their cupcakes, they have also created decorative bags and containers in which they often sell their product. They have even made a brightly decorated cash box in which to store the day’s income.  Their aprons, and hats, are all their own design and creation.  In short, they do it all.

As with all entrepreneurs, the sisters are always focused on ways to improve the status quo.  One of the problems with transporting bakery items topped with frosting in Florida is that the extreme heat tends to melt the frosting.  Mary and Kathy have solved this issue, by developing a frosting which is more resistant to heat.

Looks are one thing, but as someone once said, “the proof is in the eating.”  My observation with most of the cupcakes I’ve eaten in my life is that they are too dry.  As a result, I usually end up eating only the top portion of the cake, just below the frosting, and then I throw the rest away.

The first thing you notice when you open a container of cupcakes baked by Mary and Kathy, is the pleasing aroma.  You instantly realize that these are no ordinary cupcakes.  They have a homemade smell, like something which just came out of the oven.  The cakes are moist, and the frosting is not just a bland and sugary topping, it has a flavor, and it has a substance.  These cupcakes are something very special.  It is little wonder that people keep coming back for more.  One customer said that she had “traveled around the whole world, and have not found a better cupcake.”  There is no way I can pay a better compliment than that, and so, I won't try. But, if you want to purchase some of these cupcakes, or, have a special event for which you need catered baked goods, Mary and Kathy can be reached at the flea market, or, by calling them at 727-726-2305.

An old framed photograph of great-grandmother Ida Mae sits on a shelf in the booth overlooking Mary and Kathy as they sell their cupcakes to both new and repeat customers.  Mary K. Oney, and her sister, Kathy Burke, are passionate about what they do and their enthusiasm and positive energy is unbelievably overwhelming.  Even though times are tough, and they’ve been dealt a setback or two, these two proud bakers are actively pursuing the classic American Dream of building a successful business, and they’re doing it one cupcake at a time.  Ida Mae would indeed be proud.

Soon There Will Be No Reason To Ever Go Back North

It wasn’t all that long ago, if you wanted to eat an authentic pasty in the United States, you had to drive a very long way north to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to get one. Getting up there was a very time consuming ordeal, even if you lived in the southern part of Michigan. 

The pasty is thought to have its origins in the mining communities around Cornwall England.  Miners needed a simple but nutritious food which they could carry into the mines, and so, through time, the pasty was developed.  Eventually, as Cornish miners made their way across the Atlantic to work in the copper mines of Michigan, they brought their knowledge of this portable food with them.  And, it's a good thing for all pasty lovers in North America, both past and present, that they did. 

Immigrant miners from other countries, most notably Finland, made the pasty a part of their own diets, and soon it became a staple in the Michigan mining communities.  The copper mines are now deserted, but the Cornish influence lives on each time a pasty is made and consumed in Michigan’s northern most reaches.

The pasty is a self-contained meal.  It is essentially a pie crust which is wrapped around a combination of meat and vegetables, crimped and sealed around the edge, and then baked.  The filling of a pasty varies depending upon the specific recipe, but most include meat, potato, onion, rutabaga, and salt and pepper.  Sometimes turnips and carrots are added, and meats can include beef or pork, or, a combination of the two.  The pasty is often eaten with ketchup or gravy, but some people eat it without either one.

Since I was a young boy, I’ve visited the Upper Peninsula of Michigan more times than I can count, and I've always bemoaned the long travel time to get there.  But I also knew that at the end of a very long automobile ride, I would be rewarded with many great things to see and do, including, eating a delicious pasty.  And, that always made the long trip worthwhile.

The world is getting smaller, due in large part to technology and engineering, but sometimes it gets smaller because of the vision, hard work, and dedication of entrepreneurs who are not necessarily focused on technology, physics, or mathematics.  One such entrepreneur who has made the world much smaller is a man named Allan Gower.

Ye Olde Miners Yooper Michigan Pasty Shop, owned and operated by Allan Gower, is just like many similar shops found across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, except for one very important fact.   Mr. Gower’s pasty restaurant is not located in Michigan at all.  It’s located in Zephyrhills, Florida, a city best known for bottled spring water.  And while Allan Gower is originally from Maine, not Michigan, it is interesting to note that Maine’s coast along the Atlantic Ocean looks very similar to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan’s coast along Lake Superior.  Other similarities include cold and snowy winters, and often, very cool summers.  Perhaps these similarities are among the reasons why Mr. Gower appreciates the history of Michigan's pasty so much.  Whatever his reasons, he has perfected pasty making to a fine art.



Allan Gower

 Allan Gower’s day begins early.  He makes two batches of pasties each day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.  Making and selling over 200 pasties a day in peak season keeps Gower a very busy man indeed.  Florida’s “snowbird” season during the winter is when he is the busiest, and the summer is when he is the slowest, but whatever the season, he keeps serving up delicious pasties day in and day out.  And, if you are eating inside the shop instead of grabbing a take-out order, you’ll enjoy looking at the old photographs of Michigan copper mines which line the walls.  These photographs, along with some mining artifacts, give the place some real character.

The good citizens of Zephyrhills, many of whom originally came from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, provide a loyal local clientele for Gower’s pasty shop.  Many come in weekly to get the food which reminds them of a home up north which they left long ago.  But they are not alone.  Other Michigan transplants, living throughout Florida, also make their way to Zephyrhills every couple of months to buy frozen pasties.  Bringing ice chests in the back of automobiles, trucks, and minivans, they take advantage of the shop’s discount on large frozen pasty orders.  But, there are others who frequent the shop as well.

“Sometimes,” Gower says, “people come in and think I sell something else.”  Apparently, there are some folks, who drop by, because they think they can purchase those other “pasties.” Pronounced differently, but with the same spelling, they are looking to buy those little adhesive nipple coverings worn by some female employees in gentlemen’s clubs.  Most troubling about this, perhaps, is the fact that the sign on the front of the shop clearly indicates that the name of the place is “Ye Olde Miners Yooper Michigan Pasty Shop.” There is certainly nothing wrong, I suppose, with a gentlemen's club employee with the appropriate job title to be looking for a place to buy pasties. But, you have to wonder, at least a little bit, about someone who is looking to buy them from a place called “Ye Olde Miners."

As you would expect, Gower sells the beef pasty with all of the traditional ingredients, but he also sells a non-traditional chicken pasty as well. And, every Friday, he sells vegetable pasties.  On the day I visited, I ordered and enjoyed a beef pasty.  Gower’s pasties are very thick with generous fillings, and I split the difference by eating mine with both gravy and ketchup, and it was delightful.

If you go, Ye Olde Miners Yooper Michigan Pasty Shop is located just a few miles east of Interstate 75 at 35201 State Route 54 in Zephyrhills, Florida.  The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m to 5 p.m on Saturday. 

Allan Gower is a man who has successfully shrunk the distance between Florida and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan without a lot of fancy technology, or, some science fiction time machine.  Without him, there would be many people in Florida who would otherwise have to travel well over a thousand miles back to Michigan to get something very historic, authentic, and, delicious to eat.  It now seems to me, that with the availability of pasties in Zephyrhills, Florida, that soon there will be no reason to ever go back north.