We recently connected with Arielle Page and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Arielle, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I came up with my bakery idea by not being a big sweets eater. Whenever I wanted a slice of cake, I wanted only a bite here and a bite of another flavor. That being said, I always knew I wanted to open a bakery but wasn’t sure of what. I loved baking cheesecakes. I was really good at it! I thought about doing cheesecake minis. The idea of coming into a bakery and picking this flavor and that flavor to ultimately create your own cheesecake box to enjoy or gift to family and friends was appealing to me as a consumer. I began selling at pop-ups and farmers markets where I’d also get customer feedback. It turns out that it was something everyone was excited about.
I’m also most excited about this concept because we offer seasonal flavors as well. We just finished out a few holiday flavors and are working on New Year’s and the Valentine’s Day flavors. There is always something new and exciting for guests who follow us or come in-store.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I graduated from Georgia Southern University. I always knew I wanted to go to culinary school so after I graduated, I moved to Atlanta with two of my best friends. I attended culinary school at night and worked at a bakery in the morning. From there I moved to hotels where I learned the art of plated desserts in which I fell in love with. I know that all of my experience ultimately led me to tapping into a niche market of cheesecakes. The problem I solve is giving consumers the ability to taste different cheesecake flavors or gifting a box of cheesecake flavors their friend or family member loves. To be able to customize an assorted box of cheesecake without having to commit to a large cake is fantastic.
I’m most proud of my product. This recipe was personally developed by me and to hear from people that it’s the best cheesecake they’ve had in their life is a huge compliment. All of our cakes are made from scratch daily. When the season permits, I get produce from local farmers as well. I also take pride in our customer service in-store as well. From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted with a friendly smile, and an associate who’s very knowledgeable in all of our flavors.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Being consistent! Showing up to the Farmers Market every Saturday whether it was the middle of the summer or the tail end of fall with frost on the ground. Initially, people aren’t going to know about you, if your product tastes good or anything. Consistently showing up, giving samples and maintaining a great customer experience will for sure bring people back. It wasn’t long until people started showing up just to get cheesecake!
Any advice for managing a team?
Listen, listen, listen. Listen to your team. Take critiques, feedback, etc. and be there with them. I am in there with them everyday, whether it’s a couple hours or 8 hours. Giving praise and being a good example of a team player overall. I’m back there washing dishes, baking, decorating if it needs to be done. Also, giving your team something to look forward to like holiday parties, team meetings with snacks, buying them lunches, etc.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ariesconfectionaries.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aries_confectionaries/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AriesConfectionaries/
Image Credits
Megan Hutchins Colleen, Sprinkles of Cocoa