Log in Subscribe

Chabbi’s opens in Wartrace

By ZOË WATKINS - zwatkins@t-g.com
Posted 11/22/22

The Garden is a newly renovated Wartrace building and the home of the bakery Chabbi’s Sweets and Eats.  

Located on the corner of East Main Street, it’s a cozy, green stucco …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Chabbi’s opens in Wartrace

Posted

The Garden is a newly renovated Wartrace building and the home of the bakery Chabbi’s Sweets and Eats.  

Located on the corner of East Main Street, it’s a cozy, green stucco building. Upon entering, guests are greeted with the warm smells of carrot cake, fudge, and muffins. Antique furniture makes sitting down in the atmosphere a unique place to enjoy a cup of coffee and chat with bakery owners Becky Lamastus and her husband Gary.  

Becky met Shelia LeDere, who owns The Garden as well as the businesses The Old Petticoat and Seven on Main, a few years back.  

Shelia’s vision for The Garden is an outdoor venue and formal garden. They hope to turn the carriage house into a “shabby chic” shed with French doors, while the lawn will be decorated with tables and chairs and even chandeliers in the trees for guests to come relax and enjoy Wartrace.  

It’s just one of the many new businesses coming to the little depot town to fill the “need of the people,” according to Shelia.  

Chabbi’s  

Originally from Indiana and Louisiana, respectively, Becky and Gary have made their home in the Unionville area of Chapel Hill where she ran the online bakery Chabbi’s Fudge and More. 

The name “Chabbi” comes from a combination of the Lamastus’ granddaughters Charlie and Abbi.  

But where did Becky get her baking skills from? Well, Becky said she “just did it.” Growing up, she did bake a lot with her grandmother and aunt.  

As her saying goes, “I bake to make others happy.”  

She started out making small cakes, breads, and fudges. “And it just got bigger. People started asking me to make cakes.”  

Fudge is her best seller. But Becky said she also enjoys making pies and cinnamon rolls as well as peanut balls, which she custom makes with Oreos, cereal, and M&Ms.  

Though an excellent baker, Becky says, “I don’t do a whole lot of the cooking side. I can. But I choose to bake.”  

Before getting into baking, Becky was a part of the restaurant industry, working in management. So, the transition to this new bakery was pretty seamless.  

“This is a whole new avenue. Normally, I have an idea of what to sell based on past sells.”  

The Wartrace vendor fair events helped with that, where she sold baked goods at different festivals.  

“Then it blew up into this,” she said.  

“We threw this thing together quickly and did it,” Gary said.  

But Becky and Gary are not done yet.  

In addition to working on their building, Becky said they plan to start selling heartier foods like burgers and sandwiches in addition to their biscuits and gravy.  

And, of course, they love the Wartrace area for its small-town feel.  

“Small businesses are important because it’s about the people and it keeps the community going,” she said.  

“You’ve got to keep the small-town mentality,” Gary added.  

In the end, they are most looking forward to growing and working with the community.  

Gary adds, “Plus, I like working with my wife... We always talked about doing something together.” They’ve been married for almost 12 years.  

Right now, Chabbi’s is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Visit their Facebook page Chabbi’s Sweets and Eats for more information or call (931) 434-3221.