Pastries sell out daily at this unique Waveland bakery inside Hurricane Katrina museum

Julian Brunt
·2 min read
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Renee Loranger always dreamed of being a pastry chef and owning her own place. Going to culinary school just wasn’t in the cards, so working her way up in someone else’s kitchen was the only option. If you follow the news lately, then you already know that Loranger, a former casino pastry chef, achieved her dream and did it spade.

Loranger recently gained national recognition by winning the Halloween Baking Championship, a Food Network TV show. It was her second appearance on the competition.

Her winning entry was a devil’s food cake, covered in hazelnut buttercream, and decorated with appropriate Halloween gore. It was a very imaginative entry. The contest win came with a $25,000 prize, and it was those winnings that helped her to open her own shop in Waveland.

Sugar Pop is located in the Ground Zero Museum in Waveland, and the interior harks back to the architecture of the old buildings that once stood there before Hurricane Katrina. The walls are painted a light pink, the counter tops are a sparkling white and the ceiling is sculpted, as businesses did many years ago. The feel is clean, sharp and a bit retro. There are two doors that lead into the kitchen and provide and interesting view into a very busy pastry kitchen, with cooks and chefs hustling in and out. This place may have just opened, but it is already wildly popular.

Sugar Pop Baking Company has a classic pastry shop menu and you will find Danish pastries, muffins, turnovers, cookies and scones, cakes and cup cakes eclairs, cream puffs.

The shop is popular and many items sell out daily.

“I bake what I like to bake and keep it pretty simple,” Loranger said.

You can also order sweets for special events, like weddings and birthdays. You need to place your order a few weeks in advance. Give the shop a call for specifics.

I tried the Danish bread pudding when I visited Sugar Pop. It was creamy and not overly sweet and the caramel it was covered in was just right.

Another sweet that caught my eye was a stuffed croissant. Normally croissants are stuffed with something savory, like ham and cheese, but this one was stuffed with strawberries and whipped cream. Wow!

The stuffed croissant at Sugar Pop Baking Company in Waveland is filled with fresh fruit and whipped cream.
The stuffed croissant at Sugar Pop Baking Company in Waveland is filled with fresh fruit and whipped cream.

There are far too few good pastry shops on the Coast, and Sugar Pop Baking Company is a welcomed edition. Waveland is a nice little ride from Ocean Springs or Biloxi, but I assure you it is worth every mile.

If you go

Sugar Pop Baking Company

Address: 335 Coleman Avenue

Hours: Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday hours coming soon.

Sugar Pop Baking Company is inside the Ground Zero museum in Waveland.
Sugar Pop Baking Company is inside the Ground Zero museum in Waveland.
Renee Loranger became the $25,000 winner of the Food Network Halloween Baking Challenge and immediately opened her own bakery and custom cake shop inside Ground Zero Museum in Waveland.
Renee Loranger became the $25,000 winner of the Food Network Halloween Baking Challenge and immediately opened her own bakery and custom cake shop inside Ground Zero Museum in Waveland.