We recently connected with Melanie Lewis and have shared our conversation below.

Melanie , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Prior to starting the business, I worked as a Pastry Chef under the guidance of some of the most prominent Twin Cities chefs such as Tim McKee (La Belle Vie), Isaac Becker (Bar La Grassa), and Gavin Kaysen (Spoon and Stable) which was an invaluable experience that shaped my culinary expertise.

Although my career was seemingly on the rise, I realized that I could not out work the void that was ever present. After seeking spiritual counsel and praying earnestly, I made the daring decision to leave my comfort zone and pursue my God-given purpose, even though I wasn’t entirely sure what it was at the time (kind of funny when I think about it).

During my moments of morning devotion, the idea was planted in my heart to establish a pastry business that was God-centered. Fear was my biggest barrier. I had no prior knowledge of running a business, no financial backing, and to top it off, I was voluntarily resigning from my job! Yet, God’s calling for me on this journey kept me going.

January 2017, my sister Stacie asked me to make a birthday cake for her twin daughters (I hated making cake and I only made about 5 cakes in my 10-year restaurant career!). The day of the party, I purposely did not take pictures of the cake because I was still unsure of my ability. However, the father of my twin nieces had snapped a picture of the cake and tagged me in his social media post. The comments section was filled with inquiries about who made it and whether I was accepting orders. That day marked the turning point when The Perfect Piece Sweets Co. could no longer remain a secret.

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

Grandma Mable is her name and she was my first introduction to my love of food. I would always anticipate her visits because I knew that she would bring her starter so that we could make bread together. She migrated from South Carolina to work as a baker in New York. At 5 years old I would stand on a chair and help her roll out bread dough. Moments like this is what lead me to enrolling into The Art Institutes International Minnesota after high school for my Culinary Arts degree and then furthering my education in pastry at Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, FL. Upon graduation I returned home to begin my career in restaurant.

Fast forward to me leaving my 10 year restaurant career to begin the journey of starting my own pastry business. The lessons from restaurant and Grandma prepared me for this moment. My business philosophy as a food entrepreneur is based on quality and consistency. From the website and branding all the way to the ingredients and the vendors that I use, I provide a product that reflects my commitment to quality. Similarly, I strive to give the client a consistent dessert experience. For instance, if a customer ate a Passionfruit/White Chocolate dessert shooter two years ago and decides to order it today, they can expect the exact same taste.

As I continue to grow my business I am grateful for how my background has shaped my perspective on food being an experience not just something we consume.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

New website! I believe that customer service starts before the client contacts you. Most will search for your business on Instagram or they will just Google and find your website. The website is usually their first introduction to your business. The pictures, FAQs and pricing are some determining factors on your site that will cause the client to reach out for more information. My business consultant said that when he looked at my old website that it didn’t reflect the quality and precision of the cakes, cupcakes and dessert tables that I was providing. If I was to present my business as a premium pastry business than the pictures and the website needed to reflect that as well. So, at just the right time I secured an investment (thank you Social Impact Strategies Group!) and was able to hire a couple of professional photographers (a food photographer and a branding photographer), a web designer and I also partnered with a copywriter to assist me with the written content of my new website.

The website launched about 2 months ago and the inquiries have been coming in ever since! The first thing clients mention is, “I have been looking at your website and the pictures are just gorgeous and so easy to use!” I believe my plan worked.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Consistency and integrity. Clients want to put their support behind businesses that are consistent in their product and has integrity in their business practices. I have had clients come to me about certain cake designs and I always ask for a picture so I can have a reference on the idea they are going for to make sure it aligns with my skillset. If it is something that I do not have the skillset to do I inform them and than provide them with referrals to other cake decorators that will be a better fit for their event. My goal is to make sure that the client gets what they want even if it’s not with me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.perfectpiecesweets.com
• Instagram: @sweetstheperfectpiece
• Facebook: The Perfect Piece Sweets Co.
• Other: The Knot The Wedding Wire

Image Credits
Rachel Traxler Photography Isabel Subtil Photography