Nestled in the heart of Warren, the Perfect Sweet Shoppe is more than just a dessert haven — it’s a demonstration of Tracy Woodard’s lifelong passion for baking and community. This charming shop began as a macaron specialty store at the culinary food incubator Hope & Main in 2017. After moving to its brick-and-mortar location on Joyce Street in 2018, it blossomed into a local favorite, offering a delightful array of sweets, including cakes, cookies, brownies, ice cream and the irresistible macarons that started it all.  

Tracy Woodard’s culinary journey began with a family tradition that celebrates food as a cornerstone of togetherness and joy. Growing up in Barrington,  Tracy was raised in a vibrant Italian American culture where cooking and baking were more than just activities — they were expressions of love and heritage.  

“I was always in the kitchen baking with my mom, sometimes my aunt, my grandmother as well,” Tracy said. This immersive experience began at a tender age, as Tracy participated in preparing everything from Italian cookies to lavish holiday spreads. “We would have 13 people at our Thanksgiving table and 16 desserts,” she laughed. Cooking with her mom, Tracy said, “was filled with laughter, song and cookies.”  

Food was not just about nourishment but a way to bring family together.

Family tradition, education, and inspiration

“There was never a visit to my grandmother’s house where we didn’t make at least one batch of cookies,”  Tracy said of her grandmother’s influence on her career.

Tracy’s great aunt, Eleonor Rodrigues, the youngest of her grandmother’s 11 siblings, was also an inspiration for her — making the connection between food and community engagement. Known for her vibrant spirit and culinary skills,  Aunt Eleanor was a community icon, having been part of Rods Grill in Warren since her in-laws opened it in 1957; she owned it with her husband Raymond from 1978 until she retired in 2019 at the age of eighty-nine.  

“My father always taught me loyalty and integrity and to ‘give the business to the locals,’ ” Tracy explained. His influence is evident in Tracy’s own ventures, where she strives to offer a similar sense of community warmth, loyalty, and hospitality. “It’s just like, you know, who we are,” Tracy said.  

At the Perfect Sweet Shoppe, she embodies these values by sourcing ingredients and products locally whenever possible, ensuring that her business contributes to the vibrancy and sustainability of her Warren community.

“Bringing joy through food is a trait I developed before I even knew I was developing it,” she said of her lifelong mission to spread happiness through her culinary offerings.  

Sweet success

Before her culinary career, Tracy was a marriage and family therapist. Initially, she envisioned the Perfect Sweet Shoppe as a side venture. However, the shop’s success prompted her to close her practice and fully embrace her calling as a baker.   

Tracy’s enterprising spirit did not stop there. She expanded her culinary empire by opening a coffee shop — Tracy’s Cream and Sugar —and, most recently, taking over an existing creperie, renaming it Main Street Crepe Company. Inspired by her love for Disney’s Main Street, the crepe shop offers both Tracy’s creations and beloved items from the previous owner.   

Today, she has not only created a thriving business but also brought her family along on the journey. Her son, Nick, is the head macaron baker, and her daughter, Amanda, manages coffee shop.  Nick’s best friend, Ryan Fromm, whom Tracy describes as “like a son to me,” is the other head baker, making it a true family affair.  

In 2020, Tracy introduced ice cream to the Perfect Sweet Shoppe, a decision driven by her personal love for the creamy treat and a recognition of a local gap. Her ice cream flavors are a combination of classical and decadent; vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, Cookie Monster, cotton candy, Yawgoo Valley s’mores, and death by chocolate are just some of the flavors found at the Perfect Sweet Shoppe.

The Perfect Sweet Shoppe is located at 16 Joyce Street in Warren.