A Passport to Fun Flavors and Unique Finds
PHOTOS BY JORDAN RANDALL
Where can you consider the history behind “The World’s First Compass” from the Han Dynasty of China (and even purchase it if you’d like) while enjoying a hand-dipped ice cream in a fresh waffle bowl?
No, you don’t have to travel to Beijing or even buy yourself dessert before heading to the nearby antique mall because Becky and Ryan Richmond have already made their own dream a reality for you to enjoy.
The Lakeland couple who owns and operates Teriyaki Madness downtown loves getting their passports stamped as much as they enjoy serving up tasty food, and the two passions have come together at Lakeland Treats and Trinkets, an inviting place to grab a bite that might have a one-of-a-kind antique perfect for your collection or for a gift.
“I love ice cream and I love travel!” exclaims Becky Richmond. “I also have a bit of a collecting habit, and I’m very excited to have a venue to share some of the trinkets I have picked up along the way.”
From the compass to eclectic vintage jewelry to hand painted ceramics of all shapes, sizes and origins, the display cabinet of revolving treasures is much like a history museum you can take pieces home from.
With a full wall mural that aims to help patrons transport themselves temporarily to Tuscany along the Mediterranean coast and scrumptious menu items like the Paris—a club sandwich that replicates “an amazing” sandwich Becky enjoyed in France—or South Dakota Potato Salad—a family recipe that goes best with a side of Omaha potato chips—Treats and Trinkets aims to become the kind of “hidden gem” that people search for across the globe.
“We are a warm and inviting place to sit for a bit, have a coffee, lunch, some gelato, or a Grandma Shirley cookie,” Richmond says. “You can try your skill at placing a few pieces in the community puzzle, help the kids draw on the kids corner chalk table or flip through the travel books from around the world and choose your next destination.”
If you catch Becky at the shop she’ll likely have a cup of gourmet coffee in hand, and in fact she drinks it all day but says she sleeps like a baby at night. You’ll experience a constant enthusiasm from her and her staff to make their corner of downtown on the bottom level of NOBAY Apartments memorable.
Treats and Trinkets is home to a trio of wafflewiches, the Capadocia, the Nashville and the Belgium—odes to different food cultures all brought together between two crisp, yet soft waffles.
Fans of fun food and unique knick knacks will be keen to check in on the new business regularly because the menu and gifts may change as regularly as the Richmond’s itineraries.