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Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Keli Marks, owner of Bakery 28, located in Cornelius, NC, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Bakery 28 has five showcases full of pastries, cakes, scones, croissants, and vegan/GF options available on a daily basis. Our pastries are French-influenced with American classics and Southern flair. Our clientele appreciates our vast menu of French Macarons, custom birthday cakes, and our vegan collection. Our clients are a combination of well-traveled guests, people who appreciate cuisine, and those who just love fresh pastry. We have several offerings of gluten-free items which have taken center stage lately.

Tell us about yourself

My grandmother was a brilliant home cook who always cooked impressive meals. Her ease in the kitchen and knack for flavor was what inspired me to get into cooking. I graduated from Culinary Institute of America with a culinary arts degree, but it wasn't until after graduation that I took an interest in the pastry side of the kitchen. I had worked two jobs, baking or a coffee shop in the mornings then worked the grill/saute station at night.

After a year of that, I ended up back home in Chicago. My two favorite pastry chefs joined forces to open the French Pastry school. They took me on as their first assistant... unpaid (I helped open the school in exchange for learning) for one year. Owners Jacquy Pfeiffer and Sebastien Canonne taught me everything from Pate au choux to chocolate decor, sugar work to elaborate entremets. Through them, I made the connection with Francois Payard in New York and worked at his Payard Patisserie & Bistro. A year of working six days a week, no less than a 12-hour shift...I found myself in Las Vegas working in the pastry kitchens of the Paris Hotel and Bellagio Hotel. I think hard work, the discipline of pastry, the art of trade, and feeling accomplished every day are what is my addiction. It's such a rewarding career. Fast forward to Bakery 28, which opened the week before the Pandemic lockdown. We are the little engine that could...

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The blessings we give others through our craft. I donate elaborate custom-tiered cakes through Icings Smiles, a foundation that gives crazy cake art to kids who are affected by cancer. This alone has been an accomplishment. In addition, I've had several customers who buy from our vegan, gluten-free collection who have told me this was their 16-year-old childs' first birthday cake ever due to all of their allergies. It's moments like that that make all the hard work and long hours worth it.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Hard work, long hours, high stress, lack of sleep, worry about pandemic shutting the world down again... It's been tough.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Start slow. Know your numbers. Grow slow.

For anyone looking to become a pastry chef or learn the trade, start at the bottom and work your way up. Don't skip any steps because you want to rush to the top. Learn it well and understand how to problem solve and lead a team.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.bakery28.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bakery28LKN/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bakery28_lkn/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keli-marks-74910273/

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.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.