Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tracy Steele, owner of The Bench Bakehouse, located in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
The Bench Bakehouse is a bakery located at 1641 Commercial Drive in Vancouver, British Columbia. We specialize in naturally leavened sourdough breads and French-style pastries. Everything is made from scratch, with as many local ingredients as possible. Our process is slow, using natural leavening (also known as wild yeast) and traditional methods. Each loaf is fermented for several days to produce a rich, flavourful crumb with a thick caramelized crust.
Our bakery has an open concept so that customers can watch everything made from scratch and interact with our baking team. For many customers that visit our bakery, it’s the first time they get to witness croissants being made or dough shaped into loaves.
Tell us about yourself
I’ve always loved baking, eating baked goods, and creating things with my hands. I’m a trained pastry chef from the École Gastronomique Bellouet Conseil pastry school in Paris. When I studied in Europe, I learned to appreciate how important local bakeries are to the community. After returning home to Vancouver, I began working on a business plan and searching for a location to start my own French-style bakery. Since opening The Bench Bakehouse three years ago, I’ve seen the same appreciation that I acquired in Europe from our own customers.
My amazing team of skilled bakers, who work incredibly hard every day, constantly motivates me to keep going. I am inspired by other bakeries that I’ve visited while traveling or following through social media and always think of new products or flavors to introduce to our customers. The creative process never ends!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We opened a year before the pandemic started, which thankfully gave us time to gain some experience. We are humbled and grateful that the pandemic positively impacted our business, unlike so many others. Even though our customers were at home, they still craved our baked goods. We had to work quickly to adapt our business model. We soon started offering online ordering, merchandise displays, more bake-at-home options and even removed our in-house dining permanently to make room for more products. Looking back, a lot of these decisions have been game-changers for us.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
As a sole business owner, I don’t have partners that I need to consult with. The flip side is that all decisions come down to me. I dictate everything from big picture business strategy to how many loaves of bread we need to make to how to fix the leaky faucet. It all lands on my shoulders. As the business owner, I’m still responsible even if some of these decisions are delegated. It can be difficult to accept that not everyone will agree with all of my decisions, but I have to make peace with that if I want to continue being a strong leader.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Focus on mastering a small number of things first, then expand.
- Make a decision based on what you think is right, not what others want you to do.
- Be prepared to work a lot harder than you think.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
The Bench Bakehouse is open from Tuesday – Sunday from 9 AM to 5 PM. All orders can be made online at thebenchbakehouse.com or by visiting the store in person. We would love to see you and send you home with something delicious!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.thebenchbakehouse.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebenchbakehouse/
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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