Stephanie Spear 
Kathleen Faliskie has been one of Northern Virginia’s favorite bakers for several years. Now, Kathleen is taking the next step: opening a brick-and-mortar dessert studio in Ashburn. Fleen’s, located at 20937 Ashburn Road, Suite 150, will be home to Kathleen’s signature dessert boxes, brownies, blondies, macarons, custom cakes, and hands-on decorating workshops. Read on for everything we know about Fleen’s, a new dessert studio opening in Ashburn.
From Home Baker to a Space of Her Own
Kathleen Faliskie began baking as a teenager after moving to Loudoun County with her family and turned the hobby into her first business at 17 years old. A local coffee shop began carrying her baked goods, and Kathleen would make customer deliveries on the way to school. After high school, Kathleen earned an associate’s degree in baking and pastry arts from the Culinary Institute of America before returning to Northern Virginia. Her resume eventually included roles at Lansdowne Resort and Potomac Pastries, eventually becoming the Executive Pastry Chef at The Conche and General Manager of The Conche’s Chocolate + Cake Studio.
After years in professional kitchens, Kathleen stepped away from the industry in April 2024 after experiencing burnout. At the time, Kathleen lived with her sister and her then four-year-old niece. “I was so burnt out from cooking, I really needed a break,” Kathleen said. “I started baking with my niece, and it reminded me of what I loved about baking. I got my passion back. The joy she found in baking made things make sense for me.”
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Kathleen returned to baking later that year and joined Bluewater Kitchen in Upperville, where she began taking on wedding cakes and other private orders. By the time The Fairfax Girl profiled her in October 2025, she was operating from a commercial kitchen and had grown a business centered around custom cakes, dessert bars, wedding desserts, and holiday dessert boards. Kathleen also wrote a children’s book inspired by her time in the kitchen with her niece. Bake Someone’s Day is about spreading kindness through baking.
Road to Fleen’s
Kathleen had been looking for a permanent space for more than a year, but the search became more urgent when the rental kitchen she was working from was no longer going to be an option. At the same time, she had outgrown the cake studio she had created in her apartment. “When January [2026] hit, I was kind of like, okay, it’s either now or never,” Kathleen said. Then, the space at 20937 Ashburn Road became available. The previous business, a beignet shop, was looking for someone to take over its lease, creating what Kathleen described as ideal timing for both sides. She signed the lease in June and spent the summer remodeling.
Kathleen is calling her business a studio, on purpose. “When I hear the word bakery, I think muffins, cupcakes, breads, maybe croissants,” Kathleen said. “And I won’t be having those things.” Instead, she landed on the term “dessert studio.” Part of the reasoning is practical: Fleen’s will serve more than traditional baked goods. But the name also reflects Kathleen’s plans to make the space interactive through classes, demonstrations, and collaborations.
Kathleen’s signature dessert box. Photo credit: Ivan Martinez @mediabyi_
The goal is for customers to be able to see desserts being made, attend a workshop, or stop in for something sweet rather than simply treating the space as a traditional bakery counter. At the center of Fleen’s menu will be Kathleen’s dessert charcuterie boxes. Kathleen previously created holiday dessert boards. Now, she is expanding the idea into one of Fleen’s signature grab-and-go items.
The boxes will come in two retail sizes, with larger versions available through custom orders. Inside, customers can expect an assortment of Kathleen’s desserts rather than a single cake or flavor. Individual components such as brownies, brown butter blondies, cake pops, and French macarons will also be available for purchase on their own. “The dessert boxes are fun because you get a variety of flavors and textures,” she said. “They’re great for a group, especially because people might be gluten-free or want different things. They’re perfect for a day at the vineyards.”
Kathleen plans to continue taking custom orders for cakes and cupcakes along with dessert tables and other catering projects. The retail side of Fleen’s will evolve based on what customers are looking for. Ready-to-pick-up cakes could eventually make their way into the shop, and Kathleen also hopes to add coffee.
What’s Coming
The “studio” part of Fleen’s will come to life through hands-on workshops. Kathleen plans to begin with cake decorating classes, including a “paint your cake” workshop. Participants will receive a miniature four-inch cake presented on a painter’s palette and use buttercream and palette knives to create their own edible designs. Future classes could include buttercream piping, cake decorating, and cupcake decorating.
Kathleen also plans to bring other Northern Virginia small businesses into Fleen’s to lead workshops of their own. One planned October collaboration combines cake decorating with tarot readings. Participants will pull a tarot card and then use the card as inspiration for their cake design.
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For Kathleen, these workshops speak to something she believes customers increasingly want: experiences. “Everyone kind of wants an experience and something to do together,” Kathleen said. She also likes that decorating provides a chance to put down the technology for a while and work with your hands. Kathleen describes herself as a lifelong crafty person and hopes Fleen’s can eventually become something of a creative collective, a place where people can learn something new, make something, and spend time together.
The Meaning Behind Fleen’s
The business name is also connected to Kathleen’s family. “Fleen” started as a childhood nickname from Kathleen’s younger sister, who spoke quickly and would repeatedly say Kathleen’s name until it eventually evolved into Fleen. Years later, Kathleen’s seven-year-old niece now calls her “Aunt Fleen.” When Kathleen had her cake studio at home, her niece would ask to come to “Auntie Fleen’s” to bake.
Naming a business proved surprisingly difficult until Kathleen realized the answer had been there all along. “This whole place is me,” she said. “It’s kind of a collection of what I like.” Fleen’s felt personal to her, and fitting for a studio Kathleen hopes will feel less like a storefront and more like somewhere customers can come hang out. Even the Fleen’s branding has a little personality behind it.
The Fleen’s team: Nancy Faliskie, Kathleen Faliskie, and Leah Sokoloski
The business mascot is a chef-hat-wearing character giving a chef’s kiss. Kathleen wanted an icon customers could eventually recognize without even seeing the business name. After going back and forth through different branding ideas, she immediately connected with the final character. When Kathleen sent it to her family, her dad had one response: “She’s so sass — just like the owner.” That sparked the Fleen’s “Pocket Full of Sass” design, a reference to a saying Kathleen used to joke about: “You’re never fully dressed without a pocket full of sass.” Kathleen describes the mascot as confident and playful, but also sweet and approachable.
It is also pretty close to how she wants Fleen’s itself to feel. “If you come in, I’m gonna talk to you,” she said. “We’re gonna be friends.”
Fleen’s is located at 20937 Ashburn Road, Suite 150, Ashburn and will have a grand opening on Saturday, September 12th.
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