Today we’d like to introduce you to Cat Musgrove.
Hi Cat, 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?
Our story is a complex one. We are a family of three: myself, my daughter (21), and my son (19). We ran a home business bakery in Grovetown until a horrible family trauma happened to us. After that, I was no longer able to support my family.
Here’s a look into that: https://www.wjbf.com/csra-news/cat-musgrove-on-dolce-darlin-and-rebuilding-a-shattered-life/
We worked extremely hard to overcome that tragedy and move forward the best we could.
After our tragedy, we had very limited savings and we’re about to lose our house. I had to make some really tough decisions about the future for myself and my children. It was important for me to show them that things may knock you down but we are not the kind of family that is defeated easily. We get up, brush ourselves off, and go back to work. I spent a lot of time praying about what I should be doing next. I wasn’t sure if my small hobby business of baking could be something that could financially support my family. At the end of the day, I decided I had to try.
We don’t want anything we haven’t worked for or earned. So we began working for something that was out of reach but not impossible.
We found an old home that was in need of a lot of work. As a matter of fact, it still needs work. We aren’t afraid of hard work, though. We decided that we would work extremely hard to get this house ready to be not only a home for our family but also a place to a community could come together. We wanted to make an environment where people could have affordable, delicious treats along with a feeling of being home.
We wanted Dolce Darlin, often called the PinkHouse, to be a place that felt like a home away from home. Folks that come in automatically know they have the opportunity to build a relationship with us. They are not just our customers. We consider the people that walk in our door, spend their hard-earned money, and support us, an extension of our own family.
We hold them in high regard and value these relationships above all else! We feed our customers cupcakes, pastries, breads, cookies, scones, etc., etc. But more than that, we give them a safe space to come into. We offer a multitude of community events that are always free. We host story time, free online classes, and other things that we believe will bring value to our customers. Because of the many opportunities we offer, even most of our first-time customers feel a connection with us despite having not met us yet.
Times are still tough with the rising cost of groceries, electrical cars, etc. However, our business has persevered because it’s more than a business. It is an extension of our family. This business offers more than the chance to come into a building and buy an item. This business offers fellowship, acceptance, love, and a sense of greater community. We are extremely grateful we have the opportunity to extend such things.
We keep the treats and expensive and the hugs are always free.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We’ve had a pretty consistent business because we focus greatly on adding only one thing/service at a time. We make sure that we become excellent at it before adding anything additional to our task list. Next, we add another service that our community may appreciate. We perform that to an excellent state and then the cycle begins again and again.
As far as struggles and challenges, the food industry is a grueling one. It is physically demanding work. Because of that, it is difficult to find people so passionate about the work that they are willing to endure the physicality of it. However, since this is a family business, the children certainly see the benefit of pouring themselves into this business to serve others.
Because we live and work in a home built in 1854, we often have repairs to make upkeep to tend to. That brings along its own set of challenges.
The economical situation also makes running a small business a struggle. Materials and services cost considerably more than they did two years ago. We try to keep our prices extremely reasonable so our customers can afford to come in. That makes that line between cost and profit very small.
We’ve been impressed with Dolce Darlin’, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Dolce Darlin’ is a bakery set near downtown Augusta. We offer catering, classes, supper club, free community events, and a whole major variety of daily items.
We specialize in desserts and hospitality. Our customer service is known by all.
One of the things that set us apart from other companies is our ever-changing menu. Our menu changes every week and that helps me, as the baker, feel creatively engaged and also gives our customers an opportunity to frequently try new and different things. Our customers really love it!
We are most proud of our family-oriented brand. We have a place where we never tell little kids not to touch things or run. We give out hugs like candy at a parade. When people come to the counter, everyone standing in line behind them understands that we are going to have a visit. No, when standing in line ever has an issue with waiting for a few minutes because they know it’ll be their turn to have a chat and catch up when they get to the counter. It’s unlike any other place in our area.
Because we are a small, family-owned business, it gives us the opportunity to make our own choices about how we spend our money and how we determine our products and services. Because of this, it gives us a tremendous amount of room to bless other people. We have an awesome summer reading program where kids can come get free cupcakes. We feed the elderly often. We also give out a lot of free treats to those that are having a bad day, birthdays, special events, or tragedies. We would not have that same opportunity without having control of our own business. It is a blessing for us and a blessing for those that come in.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We are a small business and we don’t make a lot of money. That means we don’t have a ton of money for marketing and advertising. We deeply rely on word of mouth and recommendations. We know that friends trust our opinions more than they trust other things. That means it’s especially important for people that come in and have a wonderful experience to share it with their friends.
We choose to spend our money hosting community events, like having Disney characters come for a free meet and greet, or having other special things like story time in which we offer free treats to all the children that are here for stories. That means getting the word out about our business is not as much as a priority as it is to continue to serve those who already know. So we always need help getting the word out about our business.
We’re always excited to collaborate with people and work together on things that will help others and benefit the community in general.
Pricing:
- $3 – $7 per item (keeping costs low and affordable)
Contact Info:
- Website: dolcedarlin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dolcedarlin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dolcedarlin
