Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathryn Cruz.
Hi Kathryn, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I can’t say that my passion for baking stemmed from childhood or that I am some prodigy of desserts; but baking has always brought me comfort. A sense of grounding. And now, a sense of purpose. Throughout my life, I’ve baked various cakes for all kinds of events, but never did I think that I would run my own bakery. I had been told numerous times by friends and family, “You should sell this stuff!” It was a phrase that got stuck in my head and played on repeat. Then I joined some baking-related Facebook Groups and began gathering ideas. After a few months went by as an observer, I decided to start baking and testing recipes and using my friends and family as taste testers, and the feedback continued, “You should sell this stuff!” I started to gain some confidence in my skills and talked to my husband about starting a bakery from home, who was fully supportive from day one. The only problem, I didn’t know how to start or how to decorate full-size cakes.
Beyond that, I didn’t want to make and sell what everyone else was doing. I wanted a unique product, so I marinated on several ideas. One day, my friend came over and asked me if I wanted to sell hot chocolate bombs with her during the holidays and I agreed. I was bubbling with ideas that at our first meeting, ideas flowed so quickly I could barely write them all down. I had an exact vision of how I wanted Bomb Babes to be and the future products we wanted to sell. During our first few months of business, we were invited to sell hot chocolate bombs at a private 3-day event, and I decided to trial some Cakesicles as a test run. Cakesicles were so popular we sold out in 10 minutes. After that first event, I went home to make more for the second show, only to realize that my tools for making cakesicles were destroyed. I grabbed some cake, rolled it into a ball and dipped it in chocolate. It was too big to be a cake pop, so instead, I called it a Cake Bomb. I wrapped them all up and brought them with me to the event and sold out of those in 5 minutes. They were a hit!
When hot chocolate bomb season was over, we decided to change gears completely and we created a menu that consists of five different shapes our customers could choose from and fill with their own favorite cake flavors –one of our popular items being miniature wedding cakes which are the size of a petit fours. We also created a menu fully dedicated to the Gluten Free & Vegan community. We originally based our business off a made-to-order plan but have switched to maintaining items in stock for immediate curbside pick up, but we still offer fully customizable options!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No business is ever a smooth road. There have been many challenges and lots of tears. Part of the struggle was adjusting from being a full-time stay-at-home mom to not only working but running my own business, which often requires more hours than a standard full-time job. It was not only an adjustment for me but for my daughter and my husband. We have a better schedule these days and I try to limit weekend work hours as much as possible.
Another struggle I had was sourcing products and solidifying a repeatable menu. I often love the experimentation with baking, but when you’re selling a product, you have to be consistent so finding ingredients that work well, taste amazing, and are not too expensive was a bit of a challenge.
The final challenge, and somewhat silliest of all is anything related to numbers. A big part of it is that I struggle with number dyslexia so coming up with pricing took me a while. After sourcing all the products I consistently use, I sat down for days inserting formulas in a spreadsheet to ensure my prices are not only fair to my customers but to me as well. It was tricky but not impossible. We learn well when we are challenged and I don’t back down from something just because it might be too hard. Finding a way, asking for help, talking to others, and gaining inspiration from others helped me during those times of me wanting to quit.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are Atlanta’s first and only Gourmet Cake Bomb Bakery. We take classic cake recipes and transform them into a cross between a truffle and a cake pop, or as we affectionately call them: Cake Bombs! We offer a wide variety of flavors, fillings, and types of chocolate. We even offer a Vegan & Gluten Free Menu. Our items are perfect for weddings, birthdays and even make excellent corporate gifts!
While we do not currently have a storefront, our home-based bakery is fully licensed and insured. We are located in Canton and are proud to offer delivery, set up, and curbside pick up.
Finally, we take allergies very seriously, which is why our kitchen is 100% nut free. We are completely transparent about the products we use and the procedures we have in place for our Vegan & Gluten-free process. We love answering questions and talking about all things cake-related. We love serving our community and often partake in fundraising events for well-established 501(c)(3) businesses. We look forward to serving you and making your next event even sweeter!
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love how many trees our city has. Atlanta is the City of Trees for a reason, but I am enamored with the amount of trees we have and how beautiful our trees are during any season of the year. I would have to say my least favorite thing about our city is the traffic. It can often be frustrating to sit in traffic, but I do try to make the best of it by listening to business/entrepreneur-based podcasts to help pass the time, but Atlanta traffic is not for the faint of heart!
Pricing:
- Pricing for Classic Flavors starts at $4.00 each
- Pricing for Premium Flavors starts at $4.50/each
- Pricing for Vegan & Gluten Free items start at $5 each
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bombbabeshc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bombbabeshc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BombBabesHC/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bomb-babes-canton
