Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to LaToya Robles. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

LaToya, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?

I remember this like it was yesterday. I had my very first vendor event coming up and I shared the details with my church connect group at our weekly meeting The group leader ‘suggested’ I do a trial run at her house for the next meeting. She allowed me to set up as if I was at the vendor fair to get my feet wet before the actual event. There were about 10 friends in attendance and they asked questions, made purchases, and provided feedback on everything from my setup to the product taste. It was so helpful for me to have that experience because when the actual event came, I knew what to expect and I felt so confident. I will always be grateful for that pre-launch and for my connect group.

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

The Salted Crust is the result of my love of food, divine inspiration, and a giant leap of faith.

I grew up around food and understand it’s such a simple yet powerful thing. My grandmother was a chef in the Virgin Islands and I remember being in the kitchen with her asking so many questions about the dishes we were making for the family. Food ignites the creative part of my soul and I express it through my desserts.

One evening at a party, my friend and I walked up to the dessert table and the only option was a chocolate cake. Although it was delicious, my friend could not enjoy it because she doesn’t like chocolate. I thought to myself, everyone should be able to enjoy dessert. Then one night, the concept of my company just came to me: Create an interactive dessert experience where everyone can have the dessert they want on their own terms.

Based in Mansfield, we have many customizable and tempting options, including cream tarts, gourmet cupcakes, and dessert shooters. However, our most exciting is our BYOB (Build Your Own Bundt) interactive dessert experience. Choose from 18 sauces and toppings and let your creativity go as you build the dessert of your dreams. Peanut Butter sauce, sure. Crushed Oreos, no problem. There are no rules when it comes to desserts at The Salted Crust.

We are a new mobile bakery that will be celebrating our 4 year anniversary this October. We are supporters of our community and believe in community over competition. Our clients are our family and we strive to provide excellent service with our tasty treats.

Have you ever had to pivot?

COVID-19. The pandemic impacted the food and beverage industry greatly, as it did with most industries. I saw many of my fellow chefs lose their jobs, restaurants closed, supplies were scarce, it was rough. As a micro-business, it really impacted us and if I’m honest, we almost did not make it. But I had to pivot. We are a community-based company, which means we cater to gatherings and events. Well, no one was gathering during the pandemic so I had to think of new ways to stay relevant and keep my business afloat. In addition to offering delivery, I started teaching classes online. I did an 8 episode special called ‘Winging It with Chef Toya’ via Facebook live where I taught my viewers’ different tips and tricks that impacted all of us. Ground beef 5 ways. Dollar Store meals. Raiding your pantry. These we just a few of the topics that we discussed during our sessions. Not only did I learn a lot about myself, but I established trust with my community. That little lesson of looking outside myself to help others during such a scary time, really helped me survive the pandemic.

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

As I mentioned before, I’m a micro-business owner, I have less than 6 employees. It’s mainly myself and I have awesome friends that help me when I’m out at community vendor events. Unfortunately, some ‘big banks’ don’t necessarily find a one-woman bakery desirable for funding. I started my bakery when I was still working in corporate America. I saved a portion of my paycheck and used that to register my business, order supplies, and get it off the ground. Everything I made, went back into the business and for the most part, that’s still the case. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very different now than 4 years ago. I have such great visions for my bakery, right now it’s all about advertising and marketing. I am definitely using social media for the powerful tool that it is. If they can’t find you, you don’t exist. The capital for my business came in the forms of savings, friends, family, blood, sweat, and tears.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thesaltedcrust.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/saltedcrustdesserts
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesaltedcrust

Image Credits
All images are property of LaToya Robles/The Salted Crust.