Owning a bakery was a dream since Sarah was a little girl. She went to culinary school and worked in the industry to get experience before moving to Lafayette, IN. Family joined in the venture which began in 2015.
We rented the kitchen at the YWCA and began selling small pies at the Farmer’s Market. This helped get a feel of what people were looking for in baked goods and raising capital to start purchasing equipment. We offer baked goods that know one else does in the area. We found a location downtown we loved on the street the Farmer’s Market is on and opened our bakery in June 2017.
In owning your own business, you live it and you can get tired from working all the hours. We did all the shopping locally, did the laundry, washed the windows, did payroll etc. Now we have hired companies to take the time and stress of that away. It’s knowing when to hire more employees and the companies.
How fast we have been growing. Word of mouth and social media has been a big part of our growth.
You can start out small and grow from there. We did all the construction and design for the bakery and it always touches my heart when someone says ‘You have the vibe going on here like in Chicago’ “
I think starting small. Not investing a lot of money all at one time. We tested the market with very little overhead. We purchased equipment and supplies before we had brick and mortar. We try very hard to be consistent with the high quality of baked goods.
We hope to open a second location with a larger kitchen to be able to keep up with the demand. We also have plans to start another restaurant idea.
Working on a business plan and financial report was helpful in seeing what needed to get done ahead of time. We talked with the city and health dept and requirements so we wouldn’t be surprised. Being ready financially. You can start out small and grow from there. We did all the construction and design for the bakery and it always touches my heart when someone says “You have the vibe going on here like in Chicago”.
Bankable is a nonprofit organization that is focused on the economic development of Indiana communities through creation, growth, and sustainability of jobs through small businesses. We do this by equipping under-served small businesses with capital solutions, business development resources, and meaningful mentorship so they can become bankable.