‘Humbling’: Beloved Union County cafe will close due to rising costs, worker shortage

MINERAL SPRINGS, N.C. — A beloved cafe in Union County is closing its doors due to worker shortages and rising costs.

In the small town of Mineral Springs in Union County, the White Tulip bakery sits along Waxhaw Highway. The building was a house before it became a bakery.

Inside, pastry chef Tracey Bross was hard at work Friday morning decorating one of the last cakes for her business -- at least at that location.

After more than a year in business and two decades of experience, Bross said she needs to close up shop. That decision comes on the heels of a limited workforce in a town of just 3,000 people, leaving Bross to carry the workload.

Bross says she works long days behind the counter, at the espresso machine and in the kitchen, not leaving much time for her young kids or her husband.

She makes 800 macarons alone every week, on top of everything else.

“It’s heartbreaking, but I have to tell myself I’m doing it for my family and that’s OK,” Bross said.

Bross shared her golden rule of baking -- only using premium ingredients in her products like real butter and cream. It’s what keeps customer Jon Cain coming back for more.

“You don’t want everything to be like a big box store or a chain,” Cain said. “You want the small places like this to do well.”

But prices for those real ingredients have more than doubled since Bross first opened, and she won’t cut corners.

“I can only pass that cost to my customers so much, and there’s a breaking point,” she said.

Bross said she’s still figuring out her next steps. But make no mistake, she’s not counting the closure as a failure. Instead, she says hugs and tears from customers like Elise Para have made it all worth it.

The bakery was a dream that became a reality, which is something almost as sweet as the treats that made it all possible.

“It’s humbling,” Bross said. “I’m very proud of our product.”

White Tulip will only be open for a few more days, with the last day on Sunday. Those hours are listed below:

• Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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