The Peach Cobbler Factory coming to Winter Garden

Since 2013, The Peach Cobbler Factory has been devoted to crafting delightful desserts that evoke the feeling of Grandma’s kitchen.

Now, Winter Garden residents will be able to enjoy cobbler closer to home with the opening of its first West Orange location off Tilden Road.

SWEET SURPRISE

The Peach Cobbler Factory was founded in Nashville, Tennessee, by Juan and Tami Edgerton.

The first location opened in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the business has now expanded to offerings in nearly 20 states. The first Florida location opened in Jacksonville. 

TaRay White, franchise owner of the store, said he has close friends who live in Jacksonville and became franchise owners of the factory. 

“We were so excited for them, and we were interested in what they were doing, because this concept was so new to the state of Florida,” White said. “They were the first couple to have a franchise in Florida. … They brought it to our attention and shared it with us. We immediately latched on to it.”

Originally from Jacksonville, White moved in 1999 to Orlando. 

White now lives in Groveland. He previously lived in the Winter Garden area and said the city is a place he and his family hold close to their hearts. 

White loved the small-town feel of Winter Garden and knew he wanted his first store to open in the city. 

Although White originally had his sights set on downtown Winter Garden, when he saw the space become available in the plaza off Tilden Road, he jumped at the opportunity. He believes the location is better because of the centralized area surrounded by highways, schools and businesses. 

White signed the agreement to become a franchise owner in February 2022. He signed the lease for the space and began developing in October. A Mathnasium previously occupied the building.

White said the product and concept being so new is what attracted his interest to the franchise.

He said the most exciting part about The Peach Cobbler Factory is the indulgent selection of treats offered that will satisfy any sweet tooth.

The menu includes 12 types of cobbler, 12 types of banana puddings, six types of cinnamon rolls, 12 types of shakes, 12 cobbler cookies, as well as regular cookies. 

Flavors range from classic peach to caramel apple, sweet potato pecan, cherry, blackberry peach and apple walnut raisin. 

The Winter Garden store has a tentative opening date of mid-August.

A HEART TO HELP

In his side business, White said he has worked with residential developments and contractors.

However, his full-time job was with The Assistance Fund, where he served as the senior manager of operations and worked for 10 years. 

Although White said TAF was a rewarding career, he has now transitioned from the role to focus on his entrepreneurial adventure.

However, White plans to bring his heart for helping others in his previous job to his new business journey.

He said his goal is to make the business a place where it can employ the local community — especially the youth — and to serve as a gathering space. 

“For me, giving back to the community in the form of jobs is a plus all within itself,” he said. “It gives people in the community the opportunity to find work close to home. I also want it to be a place where families or friends can come and relax. We have desserts that anyone can enjoy.”

In terms of the future, White said he is exploring how he can give back to others.

“It’s great to be an entrepreneur, and I applaud anyone who does that, but the focus for me is what kind of ways can I give back to my community,” he said. “That’s going to be our legacy. We want to partner with local schools for their events or to donate proceeds for spirit nights, and then we also want to help support local charities and other businesses in the community.”

White plans on opening other locations of the franchise in the Orlando area in the future. 

When not working on his new business endeavor, White can be found spending time with his wife, LaToya, and their four children: Christian, 19; Caiden, 15; Kierstin, 15; and Kennedi, 9.