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Pastry Shop Owner Career Interview
Holly Sjo is the owner and operator of The Cupcake Counter, a specialty food shop located in downtown Chicago. She has owned this business for several years, but she has been a business owner for 25 years.
Pastry Shop Owner Career Path
“My daughter and I wanted to do something together,” Holly explains. “A small space opened up that was only suited for a few types of businesses. One of them was a bake shop. Since I went to culinary school and previously owned my own catering company, and since I am quite a baker, we decided on a bake shop.”
Pastry Shop Owner Experiences
Holly received her Bachelor’s degree in business from DePaul University in Chicago and her Associate’s degree in culinary sciences from Le Cordon Bleu.
Before owning the Cupcake Counter, Holly was not a stranger to owning her own business.
“I bought my first shop in Dallas 25 years ago,” she says. “I owned a women’s clothing store there, and after that, I owned a children’s store in Beverly Hills.”
Pastry Shop Owner Degree Programs
In order to own a specialty food shop such as a cupcake store, it is required to not only have a culinary degree but also have a business degree or equivalent work experience.
“Culinary school fine-tuned my baking skills, but it did not provide the necessary training to run a bake shop,” Holly explains.
Pastry Shop Owner Job Description
Holly is the owner and operator of The Cupcake Counter, a specialty cupcake retail store in Chicago, Illinois. She and her daughter sell flavors from red velvet to maple pecan cupcakes, and they make all of their products in store.
Pastry Shop Owner Daily Routine
Since Holly is the proprietor of her store, her days are anything but easy.
“I am currently working about 10 hours a day,” she says. “I get in at 4 a.m., restock my materials, make any batters that I need, and start baking. I take a continual inventory through the day so I know what I need for the next day.”
“At the end of the day,” she continues, “I confirm orders for the next day so that I can determine what my production will need to be. I perpetually try to teach my staff new things, which makes their jobs easier as well as makes them more well-rounded employees.”
Pastry Shop Owner: Steps to Success
In addition to the business and culinary experience required to own a specialty food shop, you need to go all-in on this kind of endeavor.
“You need hard work and more hard work,” Holly advises.
Pastry Shop Owner Job Opportunities
Starting off in this business can be the hardest part due to the high cost of starting your own business.
“It can be quite expensive, since, in my case, baking equipment and small wares are pricey,” Holly says.
In this economy, it can also be difficult staying afloat in a world of discount superstores. However, if you make the right product and make it well, the opportunities will be there.
Favorite Part About a Pastry Shop Owner Career
“I love the creativity of developing new recipes and products,” Holly explains. “I also enjoy getting to know my regular customers.”
Pastry Shop Owner’s Future Ambitions
Holly hopes to eventually sell The Cupcake Counter and start another business.
“When I sell this business, I may do something completely different,” she says. “However, I never leave food completely. I’m always catering, developing recipes, consulting, etc. At 57, it’s not easy to be on your feet for 12 hours per day everyday, so I will have to take that into consideration before embarking on a new adventure. But I love food, so there’s no escape for me.”
Advice for Prospective Pastry Shop Owners
“Get experience working at the same kind of business that you want to open,” Holly advises. “Talk to as many other owners as possible to learn what works and what doesn’t for their operations.”
Holly also stresses the amount of work required to own and run your own business.
“Be prepared to work harder than you ever have and be willing to do whatever it takes.”
