Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alejandro Contreras. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alejandro , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
I would say the biggest risk I’ve taking in the last couple of years its been jumping off the plane and having enough confidence to know I had enough experience and and I was ready to do it. The metaphor here is that I was working full time at a restaurant but I was having enough business with Tepuy. But It wasn’t an easy decision to leave a job that pays the bills and survive all by myself with my own business. But I felt ready after all these years in the industry and knowing I had a good product. that was my parachute, so I jumped. It’s s been now up to one year and it’s been growing and growing, Got me some wholesale accounts. corporate clients and a lot of local supporters. Started by myself and now were 4 people working, we usually sell out around of before noon. so It turned out real good! ” I landed, safe and sound ”
Alejandro , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m originally from Venezuela. My love for cooking started there, surrounded by great food since my grandmother and my mother are great cooks. then Wanted to go to culinary school to master what I’ve learnt at home. Then it became a more serious thing when I got me a job in a kitchen. My family wanted me to go to medicine school but I liked more the bohemia of the gastronomic industry. I was always in the best kitchens I could be so it was always a challenge. Which gave me a mental and fisical structure to always pursue the excellence. I’d say that’s what brought me here. I provide Handcrafted Sourdough Donuts. Seasonability plays a huge roll so flavors are always changing. I’d say the problem I’m solving is bringing a better donut scene to the are.
making donuts for every occasion. Starting Valentines day, mothers day. 5 de mayo. fathers day. 4th of july. memorial day. thanks giving. Christmas, etc. We also do catering, corporates and private events like baby showers, weddings and others
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
yes, it did. I went to culinary school and I’ve been in the industry for up to ten years. But I always wanted to do my own thing. I figured out baking would be a good way to get off the restaurant world and still keep working in the industry which I’m passionate about. So I self taught myself at home. I started with cinnamon rolls and other baked goods but always focused on making donuts since it’s s a more universal item. So once I earned baking and pastry skills I started trying with donuts until I was happy with the final product. then I opened an instagram account and started networking with local coffee shops. all this as a side hustle while I was still working full time at the kitchen.
the key milestones for getting here was having clear goals. Surrounding my self with the right people and having enough discipline and consistency to make it a real and established thing overtime
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
the devil is in the details. I was always interested in the marketing side of the business. you can be the best at what you do but if you don’t expose yourself to the world, you wont get too far. Its a modern world and you need to use the tools that are available. you need to develop your taste through your eyes. my best advice would be to always look at the whole pic(again, the devil is in the details). not just the food. you need a balance. you need elements and coherence. get yourself a phone with a great camera and do some research
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tepuydonuts.com
- Instagram: tepuydoughnuts
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tepuy-doughnuts-raleigh?osq=tepuy+donuts&start=10
Image Credits
Allison Ferguson Emily Bateman Andrew Albright