Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kenzie Goodall, owner of Sugar Suite, located in Oakville, ON, Canada.

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

Sugar Suite is a gluten-free and nut-free bakery specializing in allergy-free baking. We specialize in custom cakes and also have a retail shop where we offer everything from cinnamon buns to cupcakes to mini pizzas.

Tell us about yourself

I've been working in the baking industry since I was in high school, but it wasn't until I was diagnosed with celiac disease in my early 20s that I began working with allergy-free baking. I'm motivated every day by our amazing customers. The look on a child's face when their parents tell them they can safely enjoy any treat in our store is always priceless. People with allergies are so used to limitations and restrictions, and we're so thrilled to be able to offer a place where they can have whatever they want!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

When we opened our shop as an entirely gluten-free facility, I did expect it to have a smaller customer base than your average bakery. We're so thankful for how much we've grown and how many customers drive long distances to come to get our treats. We're so proud to say we've won awards, including Best Bakery in Oakville and Oakville Tourism Award, to help change the image of allergy-free bakeries. Our biggest accomplishment so far is competing on the Food Network in October on The Big Bake Halloween!

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

We've been faced with some huge challenges. Since opening our shop less than four years ago, we've encountered over a year of construction (which included our entire street shutting down and even days without sidewalk access) and, of course, two years of the pandemic. It's always interesting to continue to change and evolve throughout these challenges, but I'm so lucky to have such an amazing team that rolls with the punches, come up with amazing new product ideas, and helps us keep busy!

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

  1. Utilize your network! I had such an amazing support system when I opened my shop. I had mentorship from my previous employer and my dad, who is also a business owner, an amazingly supportive mom who helped with everything from picking out a unit and furniture to helping with recipe creation and development, and my husband, who was working on his MBA at the time, giving business advice but also getting involved in deliveries, scooping cupcakes and anything else we needed help with. I really couldn't have done it without them!
  2. See change as an opportunity for growth. It's so easy to be discouraged, but the pandemic has helped us grow in ways that will continue to help us after it ends. For example, we've started working with a delivery service that will continue to help us access clients that may otherwise never have tried our products!
  3. Find what makes you unique. We've combined our knowledge of allergy-free baking and our artistic skills to create products that can't be found anywhere else nearby. We believe this is the reason we've been able to get customers to come in from cities over an hour away!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://sugarsuitecakes.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sugarsuitecakes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugarsuitecakes/

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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