From Scratch: A Business Story

By Simple Friday

Two sisters, two countertop mixers and one pizza oven would seem like a strange mix, but it turned out to be the perfect recipe.

Not everyone who heard Jodi Willoughby and Carolyne McIntyre Jackson’s plan to open a bake shop offering only two items was sweet on the idea. Regardless, the sisters took family recipes and opened Crave Cookies and Cupcakes.

They have since expanded the original store and opened six new locations, but the journey hasn’t always been a smooth one. From broken mixers to reluctant suppliers, the sisters faced many challenges. Jodi and Carolyne have overcome the obstacles and built a base of fanatical customers by offering single-serving desserts baked from scratch every day using fresh ingredients.

This is their business story.

A Business Story features entrepreneurs and the businesses they’re building through short, inspiring, original works.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simple Friday
• Release date: Dec 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9780987903716

Book preview

FROM SCRATCH

a business story™

By Steve Macleod & Craig Rutkunas

Simple Friday Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Simple Friday Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published by Simple Friday Inc. at Smashwords

www.simplefriday.com

Edited by Murdoch Macleod

A Business Story:

Short, inspiring, original works covering entrepreneurs and the businesses they’re building

Introduction

After a four-hour flight, a man in his late 30s stands next to a luggage carousel at Toronto Pearson International Airport. He has spent the previous two days in Calgary on a work trip. The man grabs his only suitcase before it passes his outstretched hand and heads over to the bench where he left his carry on and a clear plastic bag. On one side of the plastic bag is an illustration of a classic 1950s homemaker. Even though the bag is clear, almost any resident of Calgary would be able to identify what was inside based on the logo alone. They are cupcakes. Nestled in a clear tray and tied neatly with a brown ribbon, are four cupcakes with two shades of icing. Two fiercely blue, the others a calm white.

While in Calgary, one of the businessman’s clients told him that if he was in town for just a few days, the one thing he had to do was try a Crave cupcake. After taking his first bite he knew it would be the perfect gift to bring home to his wife and two daughters. Little did he know that single bag of cupcakes in his hand was six years in the making.

Crave Cookies and Cupcakes is the brainchild of Jodi Willoughby and Carolyne McIntyre Jackson. The sisters took recipes from their family vault and opened their first store in 2004, despite remarks from a handful of people who weren’t so sweet on the idea of a cupcake shop. In the years following, however, the sisters built a base of fanatical customers by offering single-serving desserts baked from scratch every day using fresh ingredients. They eventually expanded their original store, opened six new locations and now manage more than 60 employees from a separate head office.

Whether it was incredible foresight or a stroke of luck, Carolyne and Jodi launched the first cupcake bakery in their home city just as the desserts were becoming trendy. The journey wasn’t always a smooth one. From broken mixers to reluctant suppliers, the sisters faced many challenges. They’ve overcome the obstacles, managed to get an entire city to embrace their brand and are now poised to expand across the country.

This is their business story.

Chapter 1

Valentine’s Day

The clock strikes midnight and Valentine’s Day officially arrives, as Carolyne McIntyre Jackson walks down the street towards Crave Cookies and Cupcakes. The air is crisp, the temperature is just above freezing and the streets are quiet, typical of a Monday evening. The cupcake and cookie shop is located on the main street in Kensington, with only a coffee shop separating it from the busiest intersection. During the day, cars would be lined up, slowly jockeying for position as they creep through the lights. At this time of night though, only a few vehicles shoot by as their passengers drive home with thoughts of a comfortable bed and a soft pillow.

Carolyne enters through the shop’s glass door and locks it behind her. As she flicks on the lights she takes a quick look around. The cupcake and cookie shop she started with her sister two years ago is empty. On her left is a display counter, directly in front is the cash register and through the back is her destination, the kitchen. As she heads past the front counters she reflects on the task ahead of her. Valentine’s Day was one of their busiest last year and it will probably be busier this year. It’s going to be a long night.

Carolyne prepares the first batch of batter and sends it into the oven. Shortly