Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Andrea Moore, owner of The Cheesecake Cafe, located in Baltimore, MD, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
The Cheesecake Café is a small kiosk inside the White Marsh Mall; we specialize in cheesecakes. We have a rotating menu; so far, we have over 60 flavors that can change daily. We occasionally offer savory flavors, like our Charm City Crab 'Cake and our Spinach & Artichoke. Our customers are dessert lovers that don't mind spending their money on quality homemade, fresh, delicious desserts. Foodies are willing to try innovative flavors and American classics like Apple Pie Cheesecake or Peach Cobbler. The people that come to see me value indulgences and friendly customer service.
Tell us about yourself
My name is Andrea Moore, mother of 2. I am a culinary school graduate, pastry chef, cake decorating instructor, cheesecake specialist. 😁 I have been in the business since college in 2006, but I have had the urge to make "pretty food" since I was maybe in 1st or 2nd grade. I have a large family, and at an early age, I would be in the kitchen watching my Grandfather and my Aunts in the kitchen making dinners and TikTok-worthy desserts. Before long, I was helping to bake them! I kept that passion and took it with me to Culinary school; from there, I had gotten jobs and every kitchen I could. Learning new skills and cuisines, but cheesecakes were always my go-to. I started playing with different flavor combinations and handing them out to friends for feedback. And the rest was really history! Each day I am motivated because I genuinely love what I do. My favorite things are when I see a customer's face after their 1st bite or when I get that repeat customer who came in skeptical because they don't like cheesecakes.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I feel like my biggest accomplishment as a business owner is being a business owner in a pandemic. The wheels started turning for The Cheesecake Café back in November of 2019; I signed my lease in February 2020. Then in like March, the world shut down, and instead of tucking tail and running, I opened, and I opened strong. Now we are over 16,000 customers served.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of my hardest things has been assembling my team; there are so many little day-to-day tasks that people don't see. I wear so many hats; if you're walking in the mall and see me on my phone or a tablet, there are 1000 business tasks I can be doing while baking cheesecakes and helping customers. But a team takes chunks of my plate, the right bookkeeper, the right associates to operate the kiosk, the right mentors to guide my next steps in business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Three tips to Start, Run and Grow.
Start, do your research, know you're numbers, your costs, your expenses.
Run, if it's not your strong suit, find someone whose it is.
Grow always, be willing to learn, to level up. Be open to new ideas and ways of doing things. Never stop growing as a person in order to grow your business.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Come see us in the White Marsh Mall, try one or try three. Also, follow our social media, we are working hard in the next steps for The Cheesecake Café. There may be some fundraising for our own storefront or our own food truck. Either way is super exciting, and I would love for your readers to know what's next.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://thecheesecakecafemd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cheesecakecafemd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheesecakecafemd/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cheesecakecafe_
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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