We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Heather Lukela. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Heather below.
Alright, Heather thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
The experience from my career led me to this. I learned to spin ice cream professionally at Nobu. I created my recipe at The Vintage Cave. I put a Baked Alaska on the menu at Top of Waikiki. The flavor always changed so learned alot about what worked and what didn’t. A friend asked me to supply dessert to his restaurant. I presented him with a mango buttermilk ice cream pie I had just put together with gifted mangoes. Pitching that it was a great item because it was grab and go. As long as you had freezer space. He agreed and I still supply him today. My oldest wholesale account.
Mid pandemic, the same friend called and asked me if I was ready to move into a retail spot. He knew of a space available and he hooked me up with the family that owned it. Scary as it was, I moved my Instagram business out of my house and into my first brick and mortar. I decided to specialize in ice cream pies and cakes because there were no businesses focused on making composed desserts with house made ice cream. We’re still the only ones on the island.
Heather, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I was supplying a dessert menu at a local bar that I tended at. It gave me the opportunity to work on ideas while getting customer feedback, because baking is what i did for fun. I was 27 when I realized this was the kind of profession I should be working towards. Knowing I wasn’t nearly qualified (totally green besides what I taught myself at home) I answered an ad for a pastry cook position at Nobu Waikiki. The Pastry Chef and I hit it off at my interview and she hired me. She is currently one of my best friends.
I never attended culinary school. I worked my ass off at the right places.
I currently own a shop that specializes in ice cream pies and cakes. We make the ice cream, mix ins, crusts, cake, and toppings in house. Besides the pies and cakes, we offer baked goods, dessert specials, shave ice, and ice cream cupcakes.
Everything that we provide is the result of skills attained through a career. The quality is not easily replicated. I’m proud of that.
Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?
I have a very cute, hot pink Japanese K Car that serves as our company ice cream truck. My husband, David is the GM of the business. He also manages our off-site events. Driving our truck to weddings, birthday parties and school fundraisers.
I also supply to wholesale accounts with restaurants.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I started HB Baking a year before the pandemic. I was working as an assistant in the bakeshop at the Kahala Resort. I went from working 16 hour days to 8. I got restless and started baking for funsies and selling to friends on Instagram. I gained my first wholesale account. When the pandemic happened, I was furloughed from my hotel job. It gave me the opportunity to try out my side gig full time. I spent the pandemic in the weeds. Just trying to keep up with the orders I filled every weekend. Eventually the hotel called me to come back to work and I had to break it to them that I’d opened a shop and I couldn’t return.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://HBBaking.com
- Instagram: @slicebyhbbaking @slicecreamtruck
- Yelp: Slice by HB Baking
Image Credits
Rowena Salanga
@ragrinds