Johnston County — A bakery and restaurant have opened in Clayton, while several other commercial ventures are taking shape across the county.

People with a sweet tooth can visit Plain Jane Baking Co. inside the Pink Teacup building. Allison Vessie opened the bakery 17 years ago in New York but moved to Clayton when her husband took a job in Raleigh. Vessie whips up cookies, pies, bars and specialty cakes for any occasion. Plain Jane is known for its brownies, which come in dozens of flavors.

“Unlike most commercial bakeries, Plain Jane never uses mixes, canned fillings, coating chocolate or artificial flavorings,” Vessie said. “We make everything from the best possible ingredients, like pure sweet cream butter, premium Swiss chocolate and fresh whole eggs. The end result is a product that tastes as good as it looks.”

Plain Jane Baking Co. is at 505 E. Main St. It is open from 10 a.m. till 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. till 3 p.m. Saturdays. For details, call 550-7698 or click here.

A few blocks down, Rodolfo San Juan Cordoua and his wife, Azalea Villalobos, have opened El Sabor De Oaxaca. The restaurant serves foods native to the couple’s home state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Both learned how to cook from their mothers and grandmothers.

The Mexican restaurant offers plates with burritos, enchiladas, tacos and quesadillas. In Oaxaca, “mole oaxaqueno con pollo” is a popular item. The dish is a chicken leg smothered in chocolate sauce, accompanied with rice and tortillas. Traditionally, the dish is served at weddings and other functions.

El Sabor De Oaxaca is at 226 E. Main St. Hours are 7 a.m. till 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday. The telephone number is 359-1477.

Meanwhile, the county’s second Cook Out, a drive-through chain founded in Greensboro, is coming to the Cleveland community. The company opened a Cook Out in Selma last year.

The Cleveland Cook Out will boast two drive-through lanes and employ 20 people. The restaurant, offering hamburgers, hot dogs, barbecue, chicken sandwiches and milkshakes, should be open in six weeks.

A new shopping center, Proctor’s Place, will be ready for tenants at the end of March. Brothers Sherald and Donald Lee own the land on Main Street in downtown Clayton. Carolina Cable Network Systems, which installs security and surround-sound systems, has signed a lease for one of the 11 spaces.

Another Clayton shopping center, Little Creek Crossing, should be done in a few weeks, said Paul Flaherty, a broker with HTR Commercial. HTR is marketing the 12,000-square-foot center on Shotwell Road near U.S. 70. Another 3,500-square-foot building will be built later for a single tenant, Flaherty said. HTR is in negotiations with possible tenants for Little Creek Crossing.

Brad Mutchler, owner of Duke Lazzara Development, wants to turn 30 acres at the corner of N.C. 42 and Cornwallis Road into Cornwallis Crossing Shopping Center. The tract would be home to a 100,000-square-foot shopping center with restaurants and shops.

“I had 100 phone calls from people saying we need to get a Harris Teeter, but unfortunately, I don’t think we quite meet the demographics for a Harris Teeter,” Mutchler said. “We’d like to start construction next year.”