by Rachel Witkowski
Staff Writer
What does former college football player Alvin Smalls Jr. and ex-con Martha Stewart have in common?
They both bake.
Smalls started baking cakes about eight years ago and currently owns a baking and catering business, Rollin-N-Dough Enterprise. The University of Tampa graduate received a bachelor’s in secondary education through a college football scholarship.
“It was my dream to play professional football,” said Smalls. “But not everyone makes that field.”
Smalls still looks like an athlete, but his baking skills have brought him more success and happiness than he imagined, he said. The new career started when Smalls began cooking and baking for his church, The Potter’s House. The kitchen service eventually became a full scale restaurant, Rollin-N-Dough.
“God just gave me that name out of the clear blue sky,” he said. “God gave me all my recipes.”
Alvin bakes about 30 cakes a week with 15 different flavors Tuesday through Thursday, and then sells them at the Farmers’ Market in Hemming Plaza on Fridays. He’s sold coconut, carrot, double chocolate, red velvet and tropical cakes for three years at the Market. Coconut cake is his best seller, he said.
“I started right over there on the sidewalk, and it has been very rewarding,” said Smalls, as he pointed to the corner of Hogan and Monroe streets.
While baking has been a success for Smalls, he said he enjoys cooking meals more, such as his smothered pork chops and macaroni and cheese. But that doesn’t mean he will stop baking — or eating cakes.
“Every now and then I indulge in some,” he said. “But I usually eat the crumbs.”