Interview with
Samantha Ward
Knowing How to Bake
is Not Enough
Chef/Owner Exquisite Desserts
www.exquisitedesserts.net
By Kathryn Gordon
Kathryn: Sam, I’ve known you from various pastry
industry events since probably 1999! I know in that timeframe, you've opened
your own business in Palm Desert California.
I haven’t been able to come out and visit, so can you tell us about it?
Sam: I’ve been open for about 13 years. I have 3200 square feet, with about 1000
square feet for retail and the remainder for production.
I have 6 full time employees, 3 part time and we’re open 7
days a week. Many of my employees have
been with me from the beginning. We’re a
full service, from scratch bakery, including wholesale work, specialty desserts
and wedding cakes.
Kathryn: How many days a week do you work yourself?
Sam: 7!
Actually, I go in 6 days for production, and use the 7th day
to get myself organized for the next week.
The bakery is 12 minutes from my house, so that helps.
Kathryn: Did you always want to have your own
business?
Sam: Yes, I did.
My dream started when I was working in San Francisco after finishing
culinary school. My mother passed away
and I saved the inheritance I received.
This business is my mom’s blessing to me.
Kathryn: Did you write a business plan?
Sam: No, I never did. I’m more of the flighty, artistic, social
type! I am still learning how to be a
better business person. My key to
success has been my perseverance and determination.
Kathryn: You have a very extensive menu, compared to
other bakeries!
Sam: Actually, the published menu is only a
fraction of what we really do.
Primarily, I am the personal pastry chef to many of the top country
clubs in this area. I work off of my
repertoire, but produce whatever they want and need for their clients, so it is
continuously evolving.
When I first came to Palm Desert, the clubs were getting
their product wholesale from large frozen-dessert manufacturing companies. Only about 3% had in-house pastry chefs. There was a clear need to offer an
alternative to mass-produced frozen desserts.
It really helps to research your competition. There was originally one competitor, but they
couldn’t keep up with the demand. The
choice to open my business among so many country clubs was an obvious one.
Kathryn: How were you able to become acquainted with
all of the country club chefs?
Sam: Actually, I joined the American Culinary
Federation. Most of the country club
chefs were members, and they were my target market. There isn’t too much turnover within the country
club staffs – the executive chef jobs are lucrative. However, the club members can be demanding, so
I’m in an intermediary position to produce exactly what the executive chefs
need to successfully satisfy their clients.
Essentially, I am in service to the chefs and not directly
to the country club members. The success
of my business has been the result of word-of-mouth.
Kathryn: What percentage of your business would you
say is wholesale?
Sam: It has fluctuated over the years. Probably in the first 7 years we were open,
75% was wholesale. Now with my upcoming
retail location, Exquisite Desserts’ name is better known, and it’s
balanced. This is helpful because the
country club market is very seasonal with peak business taking place from November
to May.
Kathryn: What sector have you seen the highest growth
in?
Sam: Definitely the retail cake and wedding cake
market. Last year, between October and
November, we did 45 weddings! Weddings
can account for 40% of our profit.
Kathryn: Have you seen any trends in the wedding market?
Sam: Petite pastries and dessert bars in place of cakes
have been a big seller this year.
Kathryn: You recently took on a specialty cake
decorator, so you wouldn’t have to do the large cakes all yourself?
Sam: Yes, she’s a real go-getter and does
beautiful work.
Kathryn: When you take a cake order, do you charge a
deposit?
Sam: I request $150 down and payment in full 2
weeks prior to the event. It only didn’t
work out one time – it was a project for a minor celebrity, and I had to take
them to small claims court before I received payment.
Kathryn: What counts more, appearances or taste?
Sam: It took me a long time to develop my desserts
so that they taste delicious and are also well-decorated, and I have to protect
that. People shop with their eyes and as
such it’s important to invest in quality photographs of the product – but
people don’t just care about the outside of the cake. A great pastry chef knows how to bake, and the
result is great-tasting product. That
brings customers back, and that’s how I’ve stayed busy.
Kathryn: What do you mean, exactly, by protecting?
Sam: No one person in your employment should know
every aspect of your entire business.
Otherwise you could be creating your own competition.
Kathryn: Is there anything you wish you were doing
differently?
Sam: I would like to be more
tech-savy. I could be 3 times as busy if
I utilized internet exposure. The market is increasingly digital, and the first
place people go to find things is the internet.
Kathryn: What other advice would you give to someone
trying to open a brick and mortar bakery?
Sam: Have money to invest. It isn’t enough to be skilled and know your
market. I had $60K to open but it would
take a lot more these days. Things were
easier when we began, but it’s not as simple to just open a business any
more. Everything has become more
expensive. I was lucky that my husband
could help with the physical construction, which saved $100,000 in costs. So marry a handyman!
Kathryn: Thank you Sam, speak
to you soon!
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