We were lucky to catch up with Melian De Carolis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Melian, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your business and how did you resolve those issues?

The biggest problem was starting. I always wanted to have my own bakery but I was always financially on edge and unable to gamble with a business. When Covid hit I lost my 9-5 job like many others did. Ans as many have experience there was not much hiring going on at that time. So with the support of my husbands I took things in my own hands. That is how I started my company.

The scarry thing was getting certified as a food manager starting my LLC. As in English is my second language and I have never been the best student I found this to be very worrisome. But I did in, I worked and studied day and night and in just a couple of months I have a working company!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am originally from Italy but I spent my teenage years in England and eventually ended up in America where I met my husband and we are now growing our family.

My passion for food started in Italy where I would follow my Italian grandmother around baking and cooking with her. I was always interested in her delicious desserts and magical dishes.

When I moved to England I got more curious about cooking foods from different cultures and so I started working at restaurants in the area where I made friends with the Chefs and started shadowing them. I learned a lot from them.

I moved to America because I had heard of a cooking position available where they also offered training and certification. So, I left the UK and headed to the US where I was professionally trained as a Pastry Chef.

After my pregnancy I had a very hard time loosing weight and I got very interested in Nutrition, so I started working for a nutritional company and learned a lot.

I made cakes here and there for friends, and I was also a Personal Chef part time while also working full time at this nutritional company.

When COVID hit, I was let go and as it was very hard to find a job at the time I took things in my own hands! I got licensed, rented a commercial kitchen and started my first company The Colors of Food, LLC.

It was very hard because of my language barrier and having a small child, but I did not let that or COVID stop me!

The Colors of Food was originally a Meal Prepping company specializing in Keto and Paleo, and also I would make Wedding Cake and Custom Cakes on the side.

Helping people with their diet and selling sugar at the same time was not quit right so I split the companies. And this is how CaraMel’s Bakery was born!!

CaraMel’s Bakery, “Cara” in Italian meals “Dear” and “Mel” is my name “Melian”, and it’s also “caramel” which is out top selling flavor!

In 2 years I won 5 wards and I had 4 more by the 3rd year! We have raving reviews!

We specialize in Wedding Cakes, Custom Cakes and Dessert Tables. All our cakes are made complicitly from scratch, never from boxed mixes or artificial ingredients, we also do a lot of dietary desserts such as Keto, Paleo, GF and Vegan!!

With our sublime website we make ordering a custom cake a piece of cake! Check it out, caramelsbakery.com.

And we are now shipping all over the US!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My reputation was built mostly on professionalism. I have worked in 5 star service hotels so I have great respect and service to my client. This is very obvious and reflects my reviews.

I notice that my clients also really like that I am native from Italy, I speak Italian and I have a light accent. Sometime I feel like I get more trust because I am Italian rather than beings a trained pastry chef! LOL.

Over all I treat my clients well, and I make it well known that I work for them, we are not limited to what we can do, we are a one stop shop for any sweet-tooth need!

I know what I am taking about when it comes to desserts and my confidanse and knowledge is well reflected through my produces, people trust that!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Well, I did start my company during COVID and with English beings my second language it was not easy. But I did mention this before.

The hardest part was really when I took in a business partner, I was overwhelmed with work a the time, having 3 companies, I was so exited for her to help me expand, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Turned out that she had lied about everything she had told me about her experience in the business and was extremity bead in money management! I ended up in credit card debts and all my savings were gone! She quit on me without taking any responsibility and moved to a different state.

It’s a long story but I was very close to closing everything, I had my hands full at the time having 3 companies, but I decided that I would not let one mistake take me down, I had created these companies from scratch on my own with no financial help and I could do it again! So I ended liquidating 2 of then and just keeping the bakery, which was the most success full. We are expanding more that ever now and gradually coming out of debt and rebuilding savings.

This was extremity hard on me but the moral of the story is, do not take in a business partner unless you really have to and make sure it is someone you know and have worked well with before. Also, get references and call them to make sure this person is not lying to you.

Stay strong, your company is your baby and you do not give up on your children!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.caramelsbakery.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caramelsbakery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecaramelsbakery
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@caramelsbakery