Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Edna Miggins, owner of Panifico Bake Shop, located in San Antonio, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Panifico Bake Shop is a small family-owned bakery in the heart of San Antonio. We are a neighborhood bakery that has served San Antonio families since 2005. Our customers are a diverse cross-section of our entire community, not just our immediate neighborhood. Generations have grown up with our freshly baked goods, and it is not uncommon to hear heartwarming stories of adults who came here as children and are now parents who bring their own children here.
Tell us about yourself
Cake. Pan Dulce. Those are the things I remember so vividly about my childhood. My first birthday cake was baked and decorated by my mom, and I remember always wanting to be close to my aunt when she made one of our family's wedding cakes.
So it probably was not a big surprise when I decided to abandon my career in the nonprofit sector and pursue my true love: baking. Just like my mom and my aunts, I love creating with my hands. After culinary school in Houston, in which I pursued a degree as a pastry chef, the opportunity presented itself for my family and I to embark on a new journey: The Bakery Business.
We were eating at a restaurant, and they had a picture of a bakery in Italy and on the windows it read 'Pan Magnifico' (magnificent bread). I immediately saw the name of our shop because that was my goal, to create 'magnificent bread.' So our bakery Panifico Bake Shop was born. Since then, I love creating delicious breads that remind our customers and myself of our childhood and ideas that are whimsical and delicious enough to eat!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
What I enjoy most and feel is my greatest accomplishment is the continuation of a tradition that is deeply embedded in our Mexican culture. Pan dulce is artistry created by artisans that have studied their craft from others, a learned trade. However, what has set us apart has been the taking of that tradition and creating new ideas. With the advent of social media, the ability to create products that people not only enjoy for their taste but also their aesthetic has been one of the things that have set us apart from most other bakeries. Also, the ability to create an online presence where people can get service and pick up in-store through our website has also been a major accomplishment as a business owner.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things as a small business owner has been the fact that everything falls on you. You have to deal with everything, from the most catastrophic to the most mundane. Ideally, I would love to get back to my original goal just to create for the shop, and hopefully, soon, we can take steps to get there.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Do your research. What is the best way to go about bringing your idea to reality?
- Realize that your business may pull you in directions you hadn't even thought about. Remain flexible, but be realistic as well. Is this the direction you want to take? If not, how can you steer yourself back to the original plan?
- Always make time for yourself. Work will always be there, and you can work every hour of the day on your business if you allow it. But make sure you make time for yourself away from work. This is especially critical if you have a family.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.panifico.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/panificobakeshop/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/panifico_bake_shop/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sueettreats
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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