Mrs. Sweet Strong
A Brazilian-inspired bakery in McCracken County
MERY ELLEN STRONG’S BAKERY and coffee shop was a love story from the beginning.
It starts in Brazil, where she picked up her love of cooking and her creative flair from her mother, Rozangela, who passed away in 2008. It continues in the U.S., where she met her husband, Benjamin, who pastors Equip Church in Paducah, in 2016. Today, her bakery and coffee shop, Mrs. Sweet Strong, draws on everything that came before as an expression of love for her friends and neighbors and her dream of sharing her Brazilian heritage.
“We are building a community,” she says of her business, which opened in October 2024.
Mrs. Sweet Strong is a play on the couple’s last name and the sweet treats Mery Ellen makes from scratch each week. The first item sold was the traditional brigadeiro—a Brazilian dessert similar to a chocolate truffle (family recipe below). Today, customer favorites also include the s’mores cookie filled with brigadeiro, Brazilian carrot cake, cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins, quiches, Brazilian cheese bread, gluten-free treats, single-source Brazilian drip coffee and a proprietary espresso blend.
Mery Ellen is responsible for the creative side of the business, and Benjamin handles the organizational side, helps with prep during the week and serves customers.
For Mery Ellen, the business is a dream come true—a chance to share culture, food and community. “It’s very beautiful to see the legacy that we are building,” she says.
Served by Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative, Mrs. Sweet Strong is located at 5965 Lovelaceville Road in Paducah, open 6 a.m.–3 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Saturday.
