Today we’d like to introduce you to Grant Prata.
Grant, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
A few years ago I was 13 years into my 15-year management career in a large operations setting. My wife, Nina, and I just had our second child, Emma, and hours were ramping up at work. It was nothing to put in 50 hours a week and that was quickly turning into 60 and more. I was becoming a Sunday dad who would regularly go days without seeing the kids. I was off to work before they woke up and home after they were in bed. I decided I had to make some changes. I had lots of support from my wife, friends, family, and mentors so I would regularly entertain the idea of purchasing a franchise or starting my own business.
One day, I had the rare opportunity of picking my son Aleks up from school. We decided to grab a treat and went over to the local cupcake shop. I started asking the sales associate behind the counter some questions about the operation and thought to myself, “I can do this, I can figure this out.” At that point, I reached out to Smallcakes to get more info and liked the setup. The business offered a decent entry point, lots of operational flexibility, and low royalties, but I was still on the edge of leaving a well-paying job for the uncertainty of starting my business.
A real turning point in my life was a few months later when I had a great employee die in a car crash. He was driving between two of his three jobs trying to support his five children. I couldn’t help but think that he missed out on a lot of time with his family due to work and you never know what tomorrow will bring. At that point, I decided to take the plunge and haven’t looked back.
I left my Job in October 2017, we opened Smallcakes ~ East Cobb in January 2018 and it has been such a great experience. One of the best parts of this job is that EVERYONE who comes in our shop is happy. Who wouldn’t be when you are presented with gourmet cupcakes and homemade ice cream? I have the great opportunity to be involved with my local community, participate in fundraisers for local schools, and make connections with a lot of wonderful people. On top of that, I get to take the kids to school every morning and see them every night, I don’t miss special events with the family anymore, and I have been able to reconnect with my friends. I have several GREAT employees who I get to work with and mentor. One of my goals is to make sure every employee leaves with more skills and knowledge than they came in with. We work on new products, try out new recipes, and collaborate in marketing. It is a great team environment. I am excited to SMASH 2019!
Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t think opening a new business is ever smooth. There are always bumps in the road but it is how you deal with them that defines your path. You can’t let a day, week, or month of bad sales define you, It’s just a small fraction of your time. You can’t let one negative review change the way you do business. Luckily we have not ran into many of those. Business is always about moving forward, making sure every customer gets the best product and experience from the time they walk in the door and making sure you take care of your people. You are bound to make mistakes along the way but you have to treat them as learning experiences. I truly believe that if you do those things, success will find you.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Smallcakes is a gourmet cupcake and ice cream shop. We offer over 300 flavors of the best cupcakes and over 100 flavors of the best ice cream around. Everything is made in shop and cupcakes are baked fresh daily. We combine the two in a house special we call the SMASH! Two scoops of your favorite ice cream smashed between our delicious cupcakes, the combinations are endless.
Our proudest moments come when we are able to take someones special event over the top. Whether it is a baby shower, birthday, wedding, or graduation our custom cupcakes are usually talked about for days after the event is over and I think the level of effort we are willing to go through to service our customers sets us apart from the rest.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The best part of our city is the variety. We have residents from around the world and people from all walks of life. With that comes their food, their traditions, and their unique personalities. I love learning about new cultures and trying new things.
There really isn’t much that I don’t like about our city. I try to keep it positive and find a way to improve the situation. Sitting in traffic? Pop on a podcast and learn something, Long wait for dinner? Walk around the corner and try something new. This city is what you make of it.
Contact Info:
- Address: Avenue of East Cobb
4475 Roswell Rd. Suite 1550
Marietta GA 30062 - Website: www.smallcakes.kitchen
- Phone: 770-726-3944
- Email: smallcakescobb@gmail.com
- Instagram: @smallcakescobb
- Facebook: @smallcakescobb
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/smallcakes-cupcakery-and-creamery-marietta
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
