We recently connected with Araz Asherian and have shared our conversation below.

Araz, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

When I was young, my mom let me help her in the kitchen whenever she was preparing for events she hosted. I stayed beside her as her sous chef while she tested recipes and recreated her favorite childhood desserts. From the moment I was given a whisk to mix a cake batter, I knew I had found my calling as a baker. Over the years, I continued to casually bake for friends and family. Soon, I was introduced to new clientele as my sister became actively involved in the theatre community in Las Vegas. I found myself baking for local theatre companies and arts programs. One day, the director of Positively Arts, a nonprofit arts organization my sister worked with, approached me to cater one of their events. With the help of my mom, who had now become my sous chef, we spent weeks compiling recipes, designing cookie cutters, and testing table layouts. When the big day came, our dessert table was a huge success, and many attendees asked if I owned a business. Encouraged by their words, I began the research into opening a bakery.
My journey to opening a bakery began in 2018 when I was only 13 years old. I thought for a while about the niche I would like my business to fill. I didn’t want a bakery like all the others – the ones that sold basic baked goods like chocolate chip cookies and croissants. I wanted to add an artistic flare and challenge myself in this venture. This is why for my business I opted to focus on artistic and custom sugar cookies and cakes. With the basic business concept in mind, I looked into the process of physically opening a bakery. However, I did not possess the resources to purchase, refurbish, and operate a storefront bakery. Fortunately, the health district allowed home bakeries, so long as they have a Cottage Food License. I went through the tedious process of writing down every recipe, the ingredients, and allergens – as directed by the license. Once I completed that aspect of the license I could fill out the easier paperwork. However, I soon found myself stumped by one simple question on the form: business name. I spent weeks bouncing ideas with friends and family members and Google searching to ensure that any brainstormed names weren’t already taken. Eventually, I settled on the name Painted Sugar Bakery and proudly wrote it on the paperwork. A few weeks later I received my letter of approval to operate from the health district and have been brightening events with custom desserts ever since.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Growing up I’ve always had a healthy love for creating; baking in particular. I loved baking for my friends and family and watching them smile when I brought out a cake, or when they took their first bite out of a cookie. When I was 13 years old I decided to do something with my skill, and officially open up Painted Sugar Bakery in 2018. Over the years that Painted Sugar has been operable, we’ve strove to bring a smile to anyone on any occasion through our amazing sweets! Everything is baked fresh and decorated with delight and care. We cater to any occasion providing you with tasty treats and memories to last a lifetime.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Before I officially opened Painted Sugar Bakery, I already had cultivated a reputation and relationship with most of my future clientele. My sister was a member of the Las Vegas theatre community, and there she met fellow actors, musicians, and arts program directors. Because I found it fun and challenging, I would voluntarily make sugar cookies and cakes that were inspired by the shows my sister was in. Because of this I became known within the arts community as well. Aside from baking delicious desserts for them, I also had the opportunity to meet with various members allowing me to cultivate a personal relationship with them. When I opened Painted Sugar Bakery, my first clients were those from this community, whether it was for personal events such as baby showers or professional ones such as cast parties.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

Like many small businesses, Painted Sugar Bakery struggled during the early years of COVID-19. We were a business that catered to events, and people were not hosting any during these times. Not only that, most of our clients were from the entertainment industry, and all the shows from the professional to the local level were shut down. Aside from the demand side of the business, we also found hardship in the supply side. Since supply chains came to a halt, prices for basic and essential baking ingredients such as eggs and butter soared. Fortunately, given that Painted Sugar Bakery was a home business and also a side gig, I didn’t face significant financial loss during the time we were inoperable. Eventually, things slowly began to open up again and people began gathering again, which allowed us to reopen.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: @paintedsugarbakery
• Facebook: Painted Sugar Bakery