We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cara Pitts. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cara below.

Cara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?

We’ve been blessed with customers who stay with us for years, so appreciation starts with a real relationship. Most days that looks simple: answering the phone, remembering a favorite flavor, and following up by email after a delivery to hear how the celebration went. We read every reply.

One note I’ll never forget came from a customer recovering after surgery. She ordered donuts as a small treat for herself and wrote later that it made a hard week feel normal. Moments like that remind us we’re part of people’s lives, not just their carts.

We try to give that care back in steady ways: a loyalty program with points that turn into coupons or a free product, handwritten holiday cards, and occasional social shout-outs that feature our customers’ stories (with permission). We also celebrate milestones from their 2nd order to their 100th because repeat support is the highest compliment.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Cara, co-founder of Southern Roots, a family-owned bakery in Texas. We make cakes, donuts, and cookies for celebrations. We deliver locally in San Antonio with a 24-hour pre-order, and we also ship nationwide. Everything we bake is made without dairy, soy, eggs, or nuts.

Our story started at home. My husband went plant-based after a documentary. I have always baked, so I began “veganizing” my recipes so he could still enjoy birthdays and Sunday treats. We shared them with friends, family, and our church. People kept asking for more and encouraged us to start a business. We joined a business accelerator for entrepreneurs, which helped us set up our permits and licenses the right way.

Today we focus on simple, reliable joy. Dessert that many people can enjoy, with real flavor and on-time delivery. We bake to order, add a short gift note when you want it, and make the process easy for busy families and office admins. Our donuts were named a Good Housekeeping Best Snack Award winner for 2025, which is a proud moment for our family business.

What I want readers to know is this: we care about your celebration. If you need a cake, donuts, or cookies that include everyone and arrive on time, we are here to help.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

We started local and consistent. Most weekends we were at San Antonio markets—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—plus community events around the city. Our cousins helped in the early days, so we could be in more than one place at a time. At every booth we sampled product, learned names, and made it easy to stay in touch: a big QR code to follow us on social, and a second QR to join our email list.

Those small touches built a real base. When we went viral later, we already had the infrastructure: active followers, an email list, and simple ordering. New people found us, and many of them are still with us today. The reputation came from showing up, remembering people, and communicating clearly—then being ready when attention arrived.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Profit First by Mike Michalowicz changed how I will be operating our business. I wish I had read it in year one. It gave me a simple system to pay the business first, set aside profit, and stop guessing.

I also learn a lot from Alex Hormozi’s books and podcast. The big takeaways for me are: make a clear offer, test it in the real world, and let data not ego decide.

Emma Grede’s podcasts and interviews remind me to protect brand standards and build with partners you trust.

And The Diary of a CEO podcast helps me think about leadership habits, hiring, and focus. I like hearing how different founders make decisions, then pulling one small change I can apply that week.

Overall, those resources keep me grounded: manage cash with discipline, make the offer simple, and lead with clarity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.southernrootsvegan.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernrootsbiz
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernrootsbiz
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/southernrootsvegan

Image Credits

Southern Roots Vegan Bakery