Well, we have survived! The first two weeks of bakery life, that is.
A lot of people told me I was NUTS to try to open a bakery right before Christmas. (They might have been right... but I'm stubborn, and I do what I want. Ha.)
I'd been waiting all year to get this bakery open, so when I received our official license to do business on Monday 12/14, I scrambled to get the doors open Tuesday! Fortunately, we had pretty much moved everything in over the weekend (with the help of my WONDERFUL mom & dad).
Let me just say... I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. I had all these plans in place, I knew exactly how things would function! Bahahaha. I have learned SO much just in the last two weeks. That first week was such a hot mess! You wouldn't have known it if you walked in the shop, but I was pretty much in a constant state of panic.
We ended up doing about TRIPLE the production I had planned for, and I just wasn't sure how to operate in such large quantities! We kept running out of butter, sugar, powdered sugar, cupcake boxes. How do you sell cupcakes with no boxes??! One of my customers put it the right way - "You've got a tiger by the tail!" We were able to keep up, but not without a mental breakdown in the Meijer parking lot at 2am one night (morning??!) I never knew it was physically possible to work a 20-hour day, but I pulled a few of them in that first week!
After getting a bit of rest that weekend, I was finally able to turn my brain on, and figure out some systems to make bakery life a little easier and much more efficient. We've got a LONG way to go, but week #2 went much more smoothly. We baked & sold a LOT more cupcakes, and worked a lot less. Progress!
I am realizing how VALUABLE my employees are, and how much I appreciate everything they do! (Especially the box folding. I am SO glad to defer the box folding to someone else at this stage of life. :-P)
I also have to thank my sweet, sweet husband of mine, who is the best counter boy EVAH. Lucky for me, his work is just around the corner (quite literally), so he pops in quite frequently to lend a helping hand.
What about my Jamesy?! He's been enjoying a lot of time at the bakery. He did end up traveling to the grandparents for a few days between Christmas and New Year's because our daycare isn't open here in the Bean Town and my usual babysitter is out of town. So I'm missing him just a bit.
Just wanted to give a brief update so I could look back on this in a few years and laugh! I am LOVING every minute of this crazy life. Happy New Year!
P.S. Nice-looking photos credit to Graham Goebel
A lot of people told me I was NUTS to try to open a bakery right before Christmas. (They might have been right... but I'm stubborn, and I do what I want. Ha.)
I'd been waiting all year to get this bakery open, so when I received our official license to do business on Monday 12/14, I scrambled to get the doors open Tuesday! Fortunately, we had pretty much moved everything in over the weekend (with the help of my WONDERFUL mom & dad).
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| Just a portion of the boxes we unpacked. My house is EMPTY now! |
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| Yummy ingredients, all organized in tubs. |
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| First of MANY MANY takeout dinners at the bakery. |
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| He thinks he's so helpful. |
Let me just say... I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. I had all these plans in place, I knew exactly how things would function! Bahahaha. I have learned SO much just in the last two weeks. That first week was such a hot mess! You wouldn't have known it if you walked in the shop, but I was pretty much in a constant state of panic.
 |
| The very first cupcakes baked in the BEAST (our nickname for the oven). I bought it from a Cinnabon down near Columbus. First couple rounds, everything smelled like cinnamon rolls! Now it smells like cupcakes. :) |
We ended up doing about TRIPLE the production I had planned for, and I just wasn't sure how to operate in such large quantities! We kept running out of butter, sugar, powdered sugar, cupcake boxes. How do you sell cupcakes with no boxes??! One of my customers put it the right way - "You've got a tiger by the tail!" We were able to keep up, but not without a mental breakdown in the Meijer parking lot at 2am one night (morning??!) I never knew it was physically possible to work a 20-hour day, but I pulled a few of them in that first week!
 |
| I've cracked just a few eggs in the last two weeks - enough to bake 7000+ cupcakes and 2000+ cookies! |
After getting a bit of rest that weekend, I was finally able to turn my brain on, and figure out some systems to make bakery life a little easier and much more efficient. We've got a LONG way to go, but week #2 went much more smoothly. We baked & sold a LOT more cupcakes, and worked a lot less. Progress!
 |
| Our seating area. In love. |
I am realizing how VALUABLE my employees are, and how much I appreciate everything they do! (Especially the box folding. I am SO glad to defer the box folding to someone else at this stage of life. :-P)
I also have to thank my sweet, sweet husband of mine, who is the best counter boy EVAH. Lucky for me, his work is just around the corner (quite literally), so he pops in quite frequently to lend a helping hand.
What about my Jamesy?! He's been enjoying a lot of time at the bakery. He did end up traveling to the grandparents for a few days between Christmas and New Year's because our daycare isn't open here in the Bean Town and my usual babysitter is out of town. So I'm missing him just a bit.
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| Gourmet breakfast of 'tiny donuts' aka Cheerios. |
Just wanted to give a brief update so I could look back on this in a few years and laugh! I am LOVING every minute of this crazy life. Happy New Year!
P.S. Nice-looking photos credit to Graham Goebel
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