Some could name the alternatives offered in the course of the pandemic as a silver lining, however for six Westchester ladies, the possibility to start out their very own enterprise is extra of a candy state of affairs.
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 target turned to put smiles on folks’s faces with sweet messages.
What’s even sweeter? Each ship their merchandise nationally.
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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 good friend 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, nonetheless, that her cake in a jar grew to become fashionable 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 residence to Westchester. The break afforded her the time to plan her enterprise, experiment with taste combos, and examine numerous enterprise fashions, from on-line gross sales and wholesale distribution to a brick and mortar retailer.
She additionally registered logos, developed a web site, obtained all obligatory 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 embrace salted caramel, cookies and cream, crimson 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 objects 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 avenue 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. “Folks at all times ask me if I’ve been on ‘Shark Tank’ or if I’m going to go on ‘Shark Tank’,” mentioned 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 seeking 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,” mentioned Murphy.
That led to an thought.
“We realized there wanted to be a extra enjoyable technique to say ‘Hello,’ ‘I miss you’ or ‘Joyful Birthday,'” she mentioned. 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 every of 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 quite a lot of companies (advertising, promoting, editorial, graphic design, public relations and social media), which they consider is a profit.
Additionally they suppose, now greater than ever, individuals are in search of objects that put a smile on somebody’s face. Messages may be personalized as much as eight characters. Proving fashionable to this point: I coronary heart you, Bridesmaid, OMG!, Chew Me and Buh-Bye! although they’ve enjoyable ones for Halloween together with Hocus Pocus, Boo and Sup Witch.
BobbyPop is obtainable 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 Folks.
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 through the lohudfood publication.
