Nana’s Exquisite Confections Opens Today in Portland

I recently learned from a Bridgetown Bites tipster that Nana’s Exquisite Confections opens today on NE 82nd Avenue in the Roseway neighborhood. Operated by local baker Florence Jenkins, she has operated Nana’s at markets and through mail-order for a number of years. Now, she starts this part of her journey in a brick and mortar space.

I spoke with Florence earlier this week about this next step in her business, and here is what I learned.

Florence Jenkins

Florence Jenkins is the sole owner and operator of Nana’s Exquisite Confections, a proud woman- and Black-owned business. She grew up in Portland and learned to bake during her childhood. She eventually moved to Vancouver, where she raised her son. He still lives there with his family, whereas Florence returned to Portland some years later.

She has worked with food for many years, starting her in-home bakery in 2008. She also worked in the field of insurance.

“I was working for an insurance company about 35 years doing it part-time,” she said. “And I knew that at some point I was going to do an early retirement so I could run the bakery business full-time.” That early retirement was in 2023.

The Nana’s Exquisite Confections Concept

Florence says her baked goods are all about “yesteryear and passing the legacy of yesteryear through food.” This includes to various audiences, including young people, “where they can understand that it takes hard work to produce something great,” she said. “This is what our forefathers did for years.” She considers this one of her life’s missions.

Over the years she has continued to bake her upscale, nostalgic desserts, loved and appreciated by many. Various opportunities have presented themselves to her to sell her treats, like at vendor events (e.g., seasonal markets, farmers markets) and she’s also sold her products at Cason’s Fine Meats in the King neighborhood. But most of her success has come from word-of-mouth marketing; she has not done much in the way of intentional marketing. And it’s really worked for her.

She also knows on an intuitive level—in her heart—that this is what she is supposed to be doing with her life.

Nana’s Exquisite Confections: What’s in a Name?

I asked why Florence decided to call her business Nana’s Exquisite Confections. “Well, the original name was “Exquisite Indulgence Desserts,” she explained. “And then my son got married and had children, and they called me Nana.”

She added, “I’m like, OK, it’s time to switch it over because it’s all about them, you know.”

Why a Brick and Mortar for Nana’s Exquisite Confections?

Florence had been searching for a retail space since her retirement a couple of years ago. And while the vendor/pop-up life has its appeal, she wanted something more. “You know, I’ve been doing this for so long,” she said. “And it’s like, you know what? It’s just time for folks to be able to come together and really feel the full experience, by coming to a place and still getting your product to go.”

During the COVID pandemic she considered maybe taking a break and not baking, but her friends and family convinced her otherwise. They said, “This is the time when we need you the most.” And her persistence and consistency eventually led her to this brick and mortar opportunity. She didn’t want anything huge, just enough of a place for folks to come by, pick up dessert, head home, and enjoy.

The Alliance

She’ll be sharing this location with another food service provider, too—Pacific Northwest Food Alliance, which specializes in preparing culturally-sensitive meals for African-American seniors 65-years and older. Florence told me a little about her friend at PNW Food Alliance, who helped bring her on to this space.  

“She had been giving me insight about different places to lease from, but nothing ever worked out,” Florence explained. “And so New Year’s Eve, we ran into each other in the store. And she said, ‘Hey, did you get a place yet?'” Florence responded, “No, I’m still looking.'”

Turns out her friend had just gotten a space to do her meal prep/delivery work, and wanted to be creative with the space. So, she decided to offer Florence the front area. She’ll have her bakery display cases there. “It feels comfortable in a very small space.”

What Is it About These Desserts?

I asked Florence why she likes creating these traditional American-style desserts. She mentioned earlier the connection to the past that is so important to her. And she elaborated on that. “Well, primarily, because those were the desserts that I grew up on,” she explained. Plus she adds her own touch to make them a little more upscale.

These desserts also inspire her customers to share stories and their feelings about this food. “I was making like one particular cake—German chocolate cake—and pecan pies,” she said. “And folks would say, ‘Oh, I remember when dad … when grandmother …’ Just unlimited stories being told. And it was a validation to me as the stories were being told. You can just see the joy in the reminiscing.”

She continued, “And not only that, there have been times where folks are literally crying. Some of them say, ‘I don’t even understand why I’m crying!’ I said, ‘You know what? That’s why I’m here.’

“You know, you’re remembering, and that that’s a good thing. You’ll take this home and you’ll reminisce a little bit more. It may not be identical to how it was prepared, but it’s that memory, it’s that embrace, it’s that texture. Even the smell, you know?”

They way she talked about it, the experience was revelatory. “I didn’t understand,” she said. “You know what I’m saying? You know how you do something and you know you’re supposed to do it? But it really hit home during the pandemic. I mean, it just blew me away. I realized that this is purposeful, and I’m going to continue on.”

Look and Feel, and a Stepping Stone for Nana’s Exquisite Confections

The space she using is very simple and small, maybe around 200 square feet. It’s also just take-away; there’s no seating, no coffee, though she would have loved to have had that if there had been more space.

She sees this location opportunity as a stepping stone to a larger space, and will keep her eyes out for that possibility. “I really want to purchase my own place, so I could have something to pass on to my son and my grandchildren,” she said.

But this new step, with the help of her friend and the support of her community, gets her closer to that eventual goal of an even bigger space—one that she owns.

Florence’s Favorites

Florence’s menu is full of so many delicious sounding items, but I wanted to ask 1) what her favorite is, and 2) what her customers gravitate toward.

“So, my favorite is German chocolate cake,” said Florence. Boy, can I relate. “And I make it in the traditional sense. I do use a more elevated vanilla and so that really intensifies the chocolate.”

She continued, “And there is a science to making that frosting. It’s the preparation—you got to get it just right, otherwise it’s not going to be as thick as it should be. I’ve seen it watery.” I likened this frosting to candy-making, and she agreed with that assessment.

As for her customers, they also love the German chocolate cake. And the red velvet (made with cream cheese frosting) and pound cakes. She rotates the pound cake flavors, including chocolate espresso, strawberry, vanilla, and 7-Up. With the 7-Up cakes, she adds organic lemon juice. “It just, it pops it!” she exclaimed.

Also with the pound cakes, she likes to adorn them with fruit when she can, but she waxed poetic about their buttery crust. “It has been described as ‘insane,'” She remarked.

Eventually she’d like to bring someone on with excellent cake decoration skills, too.

The Menu

You can see the kinds of things she makes—from quiches to pies to cakes, and beyond—below, or on her website.

Final Thoughts From Florence

Florence told me, “You know, wherever I’m at, I want to make a difference. It’s not just about patronizing me. It’s about what I can do to make a difference, bring light and unity. And so somehow it’s going to happen.”

She added, “That’s really what I’m about.”

Nana’s Exquisite Confections is located in the building adjacent/behind the food trucks Classic Shawarma and Taqueria Mexa on the west side of NE 82nd Avenue just north of NE Siskiyou Street. They’ll be open Thursdays through Saturdays from 7am to 5pm.

I had such a lovely time chatting with Florence, and I hope the opening goes well today. Head on over and pick something up soon!

Nana’s Exquisite Confections [opening February 19, 2026]
3137 NE 82nd Avenue, Portland
Nana’s Exquisite Confections website | Instagram | Facebook

Updated February 19, 2026 to clarify the hours.