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In the early months of the pandemic, pastry chef and "Chopped" champion Mathew Rice was eager to find a way to fight off the feelings of helplessness that set in after the restaurant industry shut down.

So he started baking cookies.

Friends who were eager for a little sweetness texted him their requests, and word quickly spread. He began taking orders and leaving the batches on his porch.

Why it matters: It's one of many examples of pandemic-era entrepreneurship that cropped up around Nashville.

Driving the news: Rice, who worked at Pastaria Nashville and at Girl & The Goat in Chicago, says starting his own business was always in the back of his mind.

What's inside: The small storefront — at 321 Hart Street in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood — is a technicolor dream world that stays true to Rice's goal of embracing optimism through baked goods.

What he's saying: Rice's recipes are driven by nostalgia for the flavors of childhood.

🍋 What Adam tried: The pink lemonade cookie, which combined a hot pink base with bright yellow icing, was a perfectly balanced bite that combined punches of sweet and sour.

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