We recently connected with Chantele Jones and have shared our conversation below.

Chantele , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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

I come from a family of amazing cooks and bakers. My grandma Estella’s is who taught me how to cook at just 6 years old. My earliest memory was her teaching me how to make strawberry shortcake and cherry pie.

My passion for cooking continued well into my teenage years when my mom showed me how to make her famous lemon pound cake and I would sell it by the slice in high school.

Fast forward into my early adulthood, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and found that following a vegan diet helped decrease my flare ups.

I wanted to still enjoy the foods that I had loved since childhood but had to learn how to cook them in a different way, and that’s when my business was born.

I started out offering catering and cooking classes; and then got into pop up’s. Our pop ups were very successful especially the demand for our desserts.

So in 2021, I opened Estella’s Vegan Dessert Boutique, Detroit’s first all vegan bakery.

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

We’re home of the vegan pound cake but offer a variety of cakes, cookies bars, breads, and cobblers.

Our focus is on taste, quality, and an amazing customer experience.

Being an all-vegan bakery in the city, people are always surprised that everything is vegan. We’re proud to serve in our community.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When the pandemic hit, we had to figure out how to remain present and keep income coming in and so we did two things: we started offering online cooking classes via Zoom and we started shipping our pound cakes, breads, and muffins. This helped us stay afloat and also helped us reach a wider market.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I’m trying my best to remain debt free so, I actively participate in pitch competitions and apply for business grants.

Pitch competitions are a great way to win free money for your business. I’ve entered several, I’ve lost more than I’ve one lol, but won enough that I was able to fully fund opening Estella’s Vegan Dessert Boutique.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.estellascuisine.com
• Instagram: @estellascuisine
• Facebook: @estellascuisines