Black History Month Feature: Sugar Star Sweet Treats

By NaTyshca Pickett

These Sugar Star Sweet Treats will take you back in time to the handcrafted goodies your grandma used to keep in her glass dessert dish. Many people in the Phoenix area can't live without Sugar Star Sweet Treats, a bakery that specializes in chocolate chip cookies in a variety of varieties. You may find these delightful treats at several retail establishments around the region.

Phoenix native Parshe' Johnson, also referred to as Shay, turned her passion for baking into a family business. Johnson's father gave her the nickname Sugar Star, which fits for the mouthwatering confections she has mastered. She devoted many hours to creating recipes for the ideal sweets, employing premium ingredients to consistently produce mouthwatering flavors.

“In 2001 I began a career as an Administrator for Costco Wholesale and in 2016 decided to follow my dream to become a Baker. It was then that Sugar Star Sweet Treats was created and a hobby was transformed into a Business. I  began selling desserts at local trade shows and farmers markets throughout the Valley. I became well known for my famous chocolate chip cookies and am now known all over town as the “Cookie Lady,” Johnson expressed.

“In 2022, the idea of a Fresh Baked Cookie Vending Machine was brought to life. I loved the vending machine concept as opposed to a traditional brick-and-mortar because it allowed for less overhead and more freedom. The Sugar Star Cookie Vending Machine is located inside the Salvation Army Kroc Center in South Phoenix, Arizona.”

Be a part of the change you want to see and go support this Black-owned business. To buy your goodies, be sure to go to Sugar Star Sweet Treats. Make sure you share with your network as well!