Some sweet surprises in store on Main Street

Sheila Vish is the mastermind behind Sweet Leilani’s Desserts. You will love the way she thinks!

Sheila Vish was supposed to be named “Leilani” to honor her mother’s Hawaiian heritage. But “Sheila” by Tommy Roe was a popular song at the time, and her dad’s wishes prevailed.

Now, she gets to be both Sheila and Leilani.

Her venture into becoming Sweet Leilani’s started in 2013 when she started baking, like many others, under Michigan’s cottage food law for farmers markets.

“Baking is really what I love,” she says. “My whole family is in the food business in one way or another. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

She then moved into a shared space in Plymouth with other cottage bakers, and eventually rented a 500 square-foot space in Saline, which was basically a kitchen with a walk-up counter; from there they moved their business to the former train depot in Tecumseh, allowing them to expand into a larger space. When the property was scheduled to be sold this spring, Sheila and her husband Martin gave up their lease and started to work on a mobile kitchen, that they will continue to prepare for use. But then they discovered the old Black Sheep building in Manchester.

“We weren’t necessarily looking,” Sheila says. “We just kind of happened upon it and started thinking of the possibilities.”

After a month or so of negotiations with landlord Tom Ellis, the Vishes received the keys to the building a couple weeks ago and have spent the time cleaning, scrubbing, and painting as they prepare to undergo inspections before opening. Sheila’s also looking into how to utilize the huge bonus of space they acquired when renting this historic Manchester building.

“I’m leaning to a general-store vibe,” she says. “In Tecumseh we had Keweenaw Coffee, Murdick’s Fudge, and other specialty food items. I’ve carried wine gummies, which are really awesome (and alcohol free!) We just got the equipment for making Shaved Snow, which is different than shaved ice, before we had to close our Tecumseh store. I believe that we are the first ones in Michigan to carry this product. It’s more like ice cream than a snow cone. It’s going to be very popular.”

In addition, they will carry bubble tea, make “crazy shakes” (probably just one day per week due to their labor-intensive nature), parfaits, bagged candies, fun gift items, and of course they will have a huge variety of baked goods–cakes (no fondant or wedding cakes), pies and hand pies, pastries, scones, muffins, cheesecakes, cookies, and more.

“And yes, I hear that people want doughnuts,” Sheila says with a laugh. “That would be new for us but we are looking into how to make that happen and we will do our best!”

Although her specialty and love is baked goods and breakfast pastries, and she’s not planning to actually open a restaurant, per se, the “crazy” kitchen space that she has available, along with the dining room space, will allow Sheila to get creative with not only her baking and general store ideas but to offer brunch-y type foods for consumption on the premises and possibly grab and go sandwiches, salads, and other quick breakfast and lunch items.

“For starters, I’ll look around at what is offered in other spots in town, and try and develop ideas of things you don’t get at other places,” she said.

Calling her business a “no-judgment zone,” Sheila patiently explains that while she is sympathetic to the needs of those with allergies or other special dietary needs, there will be some items she simply can’t offer, especially right in the beginning. “I probably can’t do gluten-free, but I may eventually be able to do gluten-friendly recipes,” she says. “I’m working on sugar-free, but since I can’t personally tolerate artificial sweeteners, it is hard for me to know whether something tastes good. I’m working with some fellow bakers who are more experienced in this, to learn what will work and what doesn’t. And I use nuts in almost all my recipes, so unfortunately the store will not be friendly to those with nut allergies.”

But you want crazy shakes? Rich milk shakes topped with a wide range of desserts and candies and sprinkles? You got ’em. You want dunked pretzels, Oreos, marshmallows … or anything else that can be dunked? Look no further. No judgments made!

In these days of pandemic and making do and pivoting your life course at a moment’s notice, Sheila Vish has a plan to make life just a little sweeter for the people of Manchester. Whether it’s a slice of cake, a cheesecake, a cookie (or the occasional doughnut!) or a glass of bubble tea … she’s there to help.

“Desserts make people happy,” Sheila adds. “It’s all about celebrations–so let’s make them happen.”

Sweet Leilani’s optimistically hopes to open by the end of October, but it is all dependent on food service inspections and other factors that are not always in their control. You can follow them on Facebook and Instagram (@sweetleilanis) for the latest updates. Or just walk by. They are enjoying the opportunity to get to know more about Manchester’s people and its history!

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.