Handcrafted, Fresh, & Fun - Lady Ray's Culinary Delights

Team Subkit -

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tim Vondell, Co-Founder of Lady Ray's Culinary Delights, located in Destin, FL, USA.

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

Lady Ray’s Culinary Delights is an intimate boutique specializing in baked goods, pastries, artisan fare, and culinary artistry founded by myself and my younger sister, Chef Rachel Vondell. You’ll find everything from coffee and pastries to traditional French sandwiches like the Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame. For the fearless ones, we even offer a “Megalossant,” a sandwich consisting of bacon, ham, sausage, two eggs, cheese, and a hefty serving of our house-made candied jalapeño pepper jelly all wrapped in a seasoned croissant.

Our talented cake department, Bake My Day by Lady Ray, specializes in couture cakes and hand-crafted desserts. Our cakes are made with the best, high-quality, all-natural ingredients. By creating everything from scratch, we are able to take the time to deliver a cake that exceeds our clients’ expectations. We strive to produce melt-in-your-mouth cakes that not only look good but taste even better.

We try to stay true to our New York roots as much as possible, so there is a little piece of home in everything that we do. This is evident from our eye for design to Rachel’s Culinary Training (The Culinary Institute of America), locally sourced coffee and spices from central New York, and the speed at which we talk. Try to keep up!

With the understanding of the depth over-breadth concept, we aren’t setting out to reinvent the wheel or specialize in all aspects of the hospitality industry but actively look to partner with local businesses with the same vision.

Some of our current vendor partners include:

  • Utica Roasting Company (Coffee) Utica, NY
  • Dirty Girl Spices (Spices) Barneveld, NY
  • DeSantis Meat Market & Deli (Crazy Ed Seasoning) Barneveld, NY
  • JC’s Gourmet (Candied Jalapeño Peppers) Santa Rosa Beach, FL

Tell us about yourself

I have over a decade of experience in the technology industry, a formal education in Public Relations from Utica University, a love for business, and a passion for food.

When building out our first storefront (833 Harbor Blvd, Destin, FL 32541), my goal was to provide our customers with an experience that soothes the soul. There’s something about walking into a restaurant where the ambiance is so on-point that you never want to leave. To accomplish this, our culinary brand aligns all our efforts behind four main pillars: education, efficacy, practicing proper etiquette, and having a relentless work ethic (Hustle).

With all that said, there would be no “Culinary Delights” without my amazing sister, Chef Rachel. Rachel has worked for the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans and West Palm Beach and has also been part of several groundbreaking farm-to-table restaurants with delicious, eclectic dishes. She has been part of an Award-Winning Catering Company in South Florida specializing in weddings, event planning, and complete production services. There is no “Lady Ray” without Rachel.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I’d have to say my biggest accomplishment as a business owner was the purchase and acquisition of Bake My Day Gourmet, a local cake boutique, in early 2022. I learned an incredible amount during this process and couldn’t have closed without the guidance and mentorship of Tom Vondell at First Choice Business Brokers.

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

Time. There’s never enough time in the day to do everything on the list, so I rely heavily on ruthless prioritization in both my personal and professional life.

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

  1. Know your market.
  2. Don’t try to do everything right out of the gate. There are extremely talented people out there looking for an opportunity. Connect, partner, execute.
  3. Never stop learning. Surround yourself with experts. Experts in your field but also others. Just being around these people will allow you to learn by proxy.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://lady-rays-culinary-delights.myshopify.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LadyRaysCulinaryDelights
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lady_rays_culinary_delights/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lady-ray-s-culinary-delights-llc/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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