BLACK HISTORY MONTH: The Alchemy Behind Twanie’s Terrific Treats – An Inside Look with SWLA’s Star Baker

by Kerri Cooke

Antwan Pettis II, commonly known as Twanie, enjoys what can only be described as celebrity status in SWLA. He boasts 16K followers on Facebook and there’s not a day that goes by without someone on the platform bragging about the cookies, cheesecake, bread pudding or other desserts he offers.

When Pettis opened his bakery, Twanie’s Terrific Treats, in September 2022, he had no idea how much his business would grow. Pettis says the success he’s had is “very humbling” because he was “a young black kid who just made cookies, brought them into work, and nine months later had a storefront.”

How does he work his magic and have the public clamoring for more on a regular basis? Pettis credits Jesus and the internet, a tool he uses to inspire ideas and do research. His ability to turn out a wide-range of desserts can only be described as a God-Given gift. Even he doesn’t understand how his creations come together so well in such a short amount of time. His latest creation, King Cake, is the treat that took him the longest to perfect. “It took me about four and a half to five days to figure it out,” he says.

Flavor and dessert rotation are planned a month in advance and depend on the time of the year. Fruity flavors such blueberry, strawberry, lemon and peach are popular during the spring and summer months, while fall and winter have their own collection of savory treats that hinge on the popularity of the spicey flavors people search for during the latter part of the year.
Twanie’s has a steady peak season. Business is consistant in the spring but dwindles in the summer due to family vacations, but foot traffic increases once school resumes and demand continues throughout the holiday season. Pettis says the period after New Year’s Day is usually slow, but due to his addition of King Cakes on the menu, that has not been a problem this year. In fact, he underestimated demand for his King Cakes.

“I didn’t think people would be as adamant to get our King Cakes because people are always talking about their favorite places to buy them.” The first week they were available, demand outdid supply. A customer even broke the outside door handle, which led to the Facebook joke, “Somebody really wanted some King Cake.” The second week King Cakes were available, Pettis tripled the amount the bakery was producing.

While Twanie’s gets an enormous amount of hype online when introducing a new product, the rush doesn’t last forever. Pettis says, “A lot of people think we sell out in two hours every day. Actually, there are more days where we don’t sell out. If a product is new, it goes very quickly at first. Then demand dwindles. That’s why I like to rotate flavors. So there’s weekly anticipation.”

When asked if he sees himself outgrowing his current location at 206 W. 11th St., Pettis says that is the goal. “I would love to be in a more renowned location.” Customers call all day asking where the bakery is located and detailing how they can’t find it. Some even give up and go home.

In December of last year, Twanie’s hosted a field trip for 3- and 4-year-old students from Hamilton Christian Academy. Pettis and staff showed the children the process of making his famous chocolate chip cookies. There was pre-made dough for the kids to form into shape and bake before taking their creations home. Pettis describes it as “an excellent way to give back to the community.” In the future, Twanie’s has plans to do various activities with other local schools and will be involved with the lakefront Children’s Museum and Crying Eagle Brewing.

If you’ve never had a dessert from Twanie’s Terrific Treats, the top three sellers are the chocolate chip cookies, cheesecake and bread pudding. The only way you’ll leave disappointed is if the product you desire is sold out for the day. Otherwise, take a bite and enjoy pure bliss.