Little Sistas Treats: Booming Bakery Cooked Up By Local Kids

“Hi, I am Zyaire, and I’m Char’Les, and we are Little Sistas Treats,” the sisters say in unison. Though the phrase has become second nature to the duo, this sweet success story is still relatively new.

During the pandemic, many found themselves doing various hobbies and activities to keep busy. For sisters Char’Les, 14, and Zyaire Hawkins, 16, it was during that time that they began selling their baked goods and pastries from the comfort of their own home. 

“Especially during COVID, we decided to entertain ourselves, so baking was our main thing,” Char’Les said. 

”Seeing our grandma and mom do it, it was really easy to pick up,” Zyaire adds. “We’ve been baking our whole lives since adolescence.”

Following that experience, Char’Les, a rising junior at Mountain Vista High School, and Zyaire, a rising freshman, realized there was the potential for a profitable business. 

“I had an idea when I was three years old to have my own business,” Char’Les said. “I had the idea when my first-grade teacher told me, ‘No,’ so right there I told my mom. She told me I could do whatever I wanted to do, and that’s exactly what I did.”

So, in 2020, when the girls were 11 and 9, they decided to start their own company: Little Sistas Treats. Sugar Sisters Bakery, a local Denver bakery that has since closed, donated $1,000 to help them start their business.

“Ever since then, our business has skyrocketed,” Char’Les said. “We’ve been on Denver 9 News, Good Morning America and many other broadcasts.” 

Beginning at a very young age, both grew up with a passion for baking. Whether it was cookies, cupcakes or even their signature cheesecake cone, baking became a tradition.

“We got where we are now from our own connection, especially with the help of our mom, our ‘momager,’ and our recipes that were engraved in our tradition in our family, especially from my grandma,” Char’Les said. “She was a baker for 85 years, and she’s really good. We use some of her recipes.”

On their website, you can find an abundant selection of treats and desserts inspired by family recipes. One, a popular choice and their personal favorite, is their cheesecake cone. 

“That is our main item we sell,” they both said. “We sell other things too, especially cookies, but we recommend the cheesecake cone because it has a lot going on with it.” 

With sizes ranging from mini to jumbo, their signature cheesecake cones, priced as low as $12, should not be missed. Their website lists flavors like ‘Major Key,’ which has a key lime cheesecake filling and a pecan-crusted cone, bringing their deep southern roots to Colorado. 

Some of the sisters’ favorite jobs include catering parties and events for celebrities such as Congresswoman Diana DeGette, as well as continuing to sell at Vibes in the Park and the Juneteenth Festival.

Soon enough, they began to get support and recognition from people like Vivica A. Fox, Russell Wilson, Mayor Mike Johnson and former Major John Hancock. The Aya Foundation provided the girls with free business classes. 

Highlands Ranch’s young, thriving CEOs of Little Sistas Treats hope to teach young entrepreneurs to use a variety of skills in their workforce and inspire “other young girls to be their own CEO, so when they see us, they are inspired to start their own business, and we talk them through it,” Zyaire said.

In the community, the girls talk at various schools and groups, such as George Washington and places in Aurora. They have also been able to work alongside elementary schools and local Girl Scouts to teach them about entrepreneurship. 

“Showing girls that we can be their own CEO is another thing where we are not just being popular for our treats but also popular for inspiring other people,” Char’Les said.

“We are actually hoping to have a convention,” Char’Les said. “There we could show other young girls how to do certain things, like dipping strawberries or how sales work.” 

Rather than resting on their laurels, the girls are continuing to hustle. When they aren’t at school, you’re likely to find the sisters at a local farmers market or community event. This summer, they hope to open a storefront and food truck, as well as a location at the Denver Airport.

When they’re not working on their family business, both sisters manage their responsibilities at home and school. Zyaire enjoys choir and track, while Char’Les enjoys track and guitar. Zyaire wants to be a nurse, and Char’Les wants to be a judge, all while running Little Sistas Treats. 

“When balancing school or business, it’s not that complicated, but sometimes we do have to call out of school to do an advertisement or commercial, especially when the news comes over,” Char’Les said. “We either do it at school, like in the car or parking lot or at home, but it’s not all the time constant. It keeps us going knowing that we are making an impact on the Denver community.”

 Learn more about the company at littlesistastreats.com