Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Barbara Accogli, co-owner of Port Credit Pizza e Dolci, located in Mississauga, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I co-own a bakeshop and pizza house with my hubby. We focus on freshly baked pizza, panini, pasta, focaccia, and we also make baked goods and Italian pastries. Our customers are local and from past businesses, which is so amazing! My husband and I have had a long journey in food, and our customers know they will receive an authentic food experience with freshly made products.
Tell us about yourself
I was born in Rome, Italy, and came to Canada as a young child. My parents owned a bakery for twenty-six years in Scarborough, called Bona Via Bakery. My father was the pastry chef, and I was his apprentice starting at the age of fourteen. Here is where I learned the art of pastry. I was in my creative element, and I didn’t know it then. I loved baking and decorating in my food playground. My mother was a painter and artist also, and so cake and pastry art became my medium. After selling my family business, I went on to co-own Cakestar with my talented sister Monja Chiara for ten years. It brought out more of my creative side.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is that after three businesses in Toronto, Etobicoke, and now Mississauga. I’ve presently opened my fourth during the pandemic! A serial Entrepreneur for sure!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Your business is your name and legacy. So keeping all in balance can be a real challenge. As a business owner, I wear many hats, and they are all blended into what a true entrepreneur juggles daily.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Meet your customers! Chat them up, asking simple questions (i.e., do you live locally?) and try to remember names to make them feel special.
- Business needs to be able to transform and pivot into this new world. Always trying new things to keep it interesting. Social media helps with this!
- Be prepared to work many hours with little pay at first! You must not lose hope if you keep your eye on the prize, and you will come out on top.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Our motto at the shop is “In crust, we trust.”
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.portcreditpizzaedolci.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portcreditpizzaedolci/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bakerandchefto
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbieaccogli/
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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