Some might name the alternatives introduced in the course of the pandemic as a silver lining, however for six Westchester girls, the possibility to begin their very own enterprise is extra of a candy scenario.
That is as a result of they took an opportunity to open companies they won’t have usually — one promoting cake and the opposite sweet. For 23-year-old Andie Regan, who at one time thought of attending culinary college, the pandemic gave her time to develop her cake-in-a-jar, enterprise whereas for 5 sisters who grew up in Bedford, the main focus turned to easy methods to put smiles on individuals’s faces with sweet messages.
What’s even sweeter? Each ship their merchandise nationally.
New eating places:See what’s simply opened
Hit by a hurricane: How are these eating places doing, a month after Ida?
Weekend roadtrip: The place to discover a lined bridge within the Hudson Valley
Irvington native Andie Regan at all times knew she’d personal a enterprise, however the pandemic expedited it. The self-taught baker, who began a made-to-order cookie enterprise with a buddy when she was in highschool, continued to bake whereas getting her a level in Enterprise Administration from Tulane’s Freeman College of Enterprise in New Orleans.
In 2019, whereas a junior in school, she began a enterprise making and promoting truffles for college students’ birthdays. Her roommates fortunately ate the bits of cake left over when Regan formed her layers. That is when she realized there was worth in these scraps.
So, she layered the tasty leftover bits into Tupperware containers and offered them to mates. It wasn’t lengthy, nevertheless, that her cake in a jar grew to become well-liked on campus (and past), quickly increasing her buyer base. Andie’s Eats Cake Scraps grew to become official in January 2020.
However when COVID hit, New Orleans emptied out and Regan returned dwelling to Westchester. The break afforded her the time to plan her enterprise, experiment with taste mixtures, and examine numerous enterprise fashions, from on-line gross sales and wholesale distribution to a brick and mortar retailer.
She additionally registered logos, developed an internet site, obtained all essential licenses and permits and located a commissary kitchen in Lengthy Island Metropolis which is the place she now does all her baking (she now lives in Manhattan).
Her Cake Scraps flavors embody salted caramel, cookies and cream, pink velvet, S’mores and funfetti in addition to seasonal flavors corresponding to chocolate chip banana bread, pumpkin cheesecake, apple crumble, chai tea latte and carrot cake. Seasonal for Halloween: Halloween Guts and Bones, Graveyard Mud Cup and Trick or Deal with with new gadgets coming quickly for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah.
Although Cake Scraps are offered at some New York Metropolis shops, most of her gross sales are on-line. Since including a brilliant pink trailer in August, she’s additionally offered her cake scraps at a number of New York Metropolis road festivals and day camps, in addition to for personal occasions. You can too discover her at the Bryant Park and Union Sq. vacation markets, the previous of which begins Oct. 29. Union Sq. opens simply after Thanksgiving.
And do not rule out a storefront along with one other bakery idea. “Individuals at all times ask me if I’ve been on ‘Shark Tank’ or if I’m going to go on ‘Shark Tank’,” stated Regan. “There’s so a lot enthusiasm over the trailer and the product so I really feel very assured in the way forward for Cake Scraps and Andie’s Eats.”
Get your candy repair: 914-364-8113 or andieseats.com
When 4 sisters — Erin Murphy, Clare Terhune, Cara Buckenmeyer and Mary Grace Bachman — had been trying to ship one thing enjoyable and completely different to their sister Molly Rappoli in Boston for her birthday, they settled on balloons.
“They value over $175 and we had been completely underwhelmed,” stated Murphy.
That led to an thought.
“We realized there wanted to be a extra enjoyable option to say ‘Hello,’ ‘I miss you’ or ‘Blissful Birthday,'” she stated. The 5 brainstormed and, paired with their love for sweets, got here up with BobbyPop, edible sweet messages packaged in a reusable acrylic field.
The 5 sisters, who vary in age from 28 to 37-years-old, grew up in Bedford (and have their studio there), formally launched their enterprise in September although their strategy of conceptualizing, strategizing, style testing and sourcing started in January.
As a result of their father at all times wished to call one in all them Bobby (however by no means did), they named the corporate BobbyPop in his honor.
Although the sisters have by no means labored within the sweet house earlier than, they’ve every labored collectively in a wide range of companies (advertising, promoting, editorial, graphic design, public relations and social media), which they imagine is a profit.
Additionally they assume, now greater than ever, individuals are in search of gadgets that put a smile on somebody’s face. Messages will be personalized as much as eight characters. Proving well-liked to this point: I coronary heart you, Bridesmaid, OMG!, Chunk Me and Buh-Bye! although they’ve enjoyable ones for Halloween together with Hocus Pocus, Boo and Sup Witch.
BobbyPop is out there in two completely different sizes: a tall 9 inch field or a protracted 12 inch field and options a mix of gummies and bitter sweet from Haribo, Bitter Pour and the Sweet Individuals.
Get your candy repair: shopbobbypop.com
Jeanne Muchnick covers meals and eating. Click on right here for her most up-to-date articles and observe her newest eating adventures on Instagram @lohud_food or by way of the lohudfood publication.
