Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emily Gaston. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Emily , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you have any advice regarding quality control and maintaining quality as your brand grows?
There has been one main phrase I turn to when it come to my business- quality over quantity. Quality is one of the most if not the most important aspects. It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in the popularity or demand of your business- I’ve been guilty of doing so- it becomes easier to cut corners, costs, etc to keep up. Pretty early on in my business, I realized by cutting those corners, I was not staying true to not only the business, but myself as a whole. As the demand has grown, I’ve reminded myself daily- quality over quantity. I imagine every customer walking through my door as one of two things- a highly esteemed food critic or a first time customer. First impressions are everything. Baked goods are everywhere, other bakeries, grocery stores, fast food establishments- you can go to about any where & find some form of dessert. The quality of my product is what has and will continue to give me that upper hand. Treating each customer as it’s their first time in my shop has truly kept me in line- it’s become the biggest motivation in maintaining the quality of my products. I have always said, I’d rather be a bakery with 10 REALLY good products instead of a bakery with 40 “meh” products. A full case of desserts doesn’t necessarily mean each and every item is stellar. Now, do I hope to get to the point where I have 40 REALLY good products? Absolutely! However, that will take time! Success does not occur overnight. I am a huge fan of taking baby steps when it comes to my business- this entire experience has been new to me- there’s no problem in taking things at your own pace! As my quality continues to grow, I have found my passion, excitement & willingness to add on more items has grown too! Quality is a core value of my business that I will continue to work toward, maintain & thrive in.
Emily , 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?
Hi!! My name is Emily Gaston & I am the Owner & Pastry Chef at Gaston’s Bakeshop in Allentown NJ! I am a 2020 graduate of The Culinary Institute of America (& first generation college student!). Baking has always been a huge aspect of my life- my earliest memories are in the kitchen with both of my grandmothers, whether it was rolling out Chrosciki dough (polish twist cookies) or creating my own baking “summer camp” filled with loaves of banana bread, the kitchen has always been there. Through the good & bad waves of life, I’ve always been able to turn to baking- it provided a place for me to escape into my own creativity.
When it came to applying to colleges, I never pictured myself in a classroom. College was never apart of my “plan” (a theme you’ll see quite regularly in my life)- though after touring The Culinary Institute of America, something changed. It was a campus full of people with the same passion of me from all walks of life. I knew I could easily call CIA home. Don’t get me wrong- it was a tough school, but I found it to be the best form of learning. We were kept up to strict standards which allowed me to grow not only professionally, but personally. I joke with people now that I basically went to Bootcamp for Baking & Pastry Arts.
After graduating in the middle of the pandemic, I felt a bit lost- this time was meant to devoted to celebration, achievement & pride being a first gen college graduate, but instead I was plummeting into a world of uncertainty. I took a couple jobs in the industry, but faced a lot of struggle with little reward. I was drained. Not even a full year into the industry and I felt lost. I had lost myself in the process- looking back I can hardly recognize myself. I quit my job, took about a month off to recoup & prepare for my next adventure.
I wasn’t too sure what to do- do I try my luck at another local bakery? try restaurant work? hotels? The options seemed never-ending, but limited at the same time. As I was tackling this new endeavor, I was running low on money- what does a CIA Grad do when that happens? Sell cookies (duh.). After some research, I created an LLC, found a local commercial kitchen to rent space from (a huge shout out to Cherry Street Kitchen in Trenton NJ!), & I was off to the races. I figured if I could jump through these few hoops of getting business set up, I’d always have it in my back pocket while looking for my new job! I posted my first item for sale in June 2021, a box of salted caramel chocolate chip cookies.
…The rest is history. Support from my community just about exploded & I was off to the commercial kitchen to bake off over 45 dozen cookies. I quickly realized this little side project could become something huge. Needless to say, my job research stopped after that first bake off. The following months were filled with lots of cookies, scones, macarons & just about anything my mind wanted to bake. I would post a weekly menu, customers would pick their items, then bright & early Friday mornings I was off to the kitchen to bake, package & then delivery to towns around me. I had a hard time believing (and quite frankly still do) just how quickly the business has grown. By the following summer I was a weekly vendor at farmers markets & continued to vend at various craft shows, fall festivals & school events.
Throughout this business adventure, I have met so so many amazing people. I was quite a shy kid growing up, I was used to getting the “omg you can talk??” comments throughout school. I felt like I was constantly in the shadows. This business has instilled an immense amount of confidence in me. Though I still enjoy some of my time in the shadows, it has been incredibly rewarding to have my moments of spotlight.
About year & a half into the business, in Oct 2022, I had come across a local bakery closing. It was a small shop in Allentown NJ- I had always said I never wanted a storefront (again- remember that whole “plan” thing I was talking about earlier??) but something drew me to this location. I had reached out to the owner, just asking if she was selling any equipment (I had a growing collection of various items in my home garage- JUST in case I would ever make the leap to my own space) – she offered something better… the potential for the entire space. For the first time, something felt right. I was still slightly apprehensive, but came to talk to her a few days before Halloween just to scope it out. Little did I know, I’d be looking at my home away from home. She passed on my info to the landlord, and just under a month later I was putting pen to paper.
After taking a few months to renovate, I opened my doors February 11th, 2023. It has been a whirlwind of a year. I can’t even begin to explain how surreal this entire experience has been. My shop is currently open 2 days a week- Saturdays & Sundays (I know I know, only two days??) but I’m here 7 days a week prepping, working on custom orders & running every other aspect of the business. I’ve always run my business a pretty unconventional way- I’ll always be the first one to admit that- but that’s the fun part of owning your own business.. you can make it yours!! I have had a lot of success business wise with my current model, but equally as important- personally. I came into this industry feeling like I was shot out of cannon, I was taking on too much, feeling taken advantage of, & so quickly losing my passion for something I have loved since I was a kid. Now that I’m in the driver seat of this business, I refuse to not only let that happen to me, but happen to future employees.
Onto the fun stuff (aka pastries!)- I’ve become known for cookies, scones, macarons & custom cakes, though most importantly, those salted caramel chocolate chip cookies that started this whole endeavor. My menu changes weekly, with a few grandfathered in items, while other flavors & varieties change out. I am a huge lover of taking your childhood recipes & revamping them ever so slightly into a modernized desserts.
At the end of the day, I’m still the same 6 year old Emily baking out of an easy bake oven. Baking has & will always the biggest aspect of my life & I do hope to see you in the shop one day! ◡̈
Emily Gaston
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I come from quite a family of workaholics- my Dad has never been able to sit still- he’s always lending a helping hand to just about anyone. Growing up & following in his footsteps, I’ve maintained some of those same qualities, though fairly quickly realized in my field of work, I can easily lead myself to burnout. I’m notorious for working long hours, late late night & devoting any free time to my work, but as the business has grown & time has passed, I’ve had to unlearn some of those tendencies. Don’t get me wrong, I still struggle with a perfect work/life balance, but I had absolutely made great stride when it come to the issue. Taking time away from work is JUST as important devoting time to work -it’s the only way I can grow personally & professionally.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I began my business solely based on social media. An Instagram & Facebook page carried my business model for the first two years (they still continue to do, but now with the addition of a storefront). Social media is a tool a few people still don’t understand the severity & impact of. Posting in local & community pages on both medias became incredibly helpful in the beginning. Through my social media, I try to have a balance of typical business posts, but also a look behind the scenes, whether it be me trying other bakeries, visiting new places, or simply shopping for ingredients one day, I believe it’s incredibly important to but a face to the business.
As my storefront opened, my group of fellow small business owner friends skyrocketed. The food industry can be incredibly competitive, though finding YOUR group of people who you can reach out to, cross promote on social media, or just simply support their posts is beyond rewarding. We all face the same struggles daily, so why not work together? I have an AMAZING group of female small business owners I can turn to for just about anything, we created a group chat to share ideas, struggles & ask for advice! Reaching out to other businesses through social media is beneficial! Social media is a brilliant tool in allowing your business to grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gastonsbakeshop.com
- Instagram: @gastonsbakeshop
- Facebook: Gaston’s Bakeshop
- Other: TikTok: @gastonsbakeshop
Image Credits
1st Image of Emily: Robert Bruschini Images