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

Victoria, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

When I was young, my mother and I had a ritual every Saturday afternoon. We went shopping and had a nice little snack or as we say in French “gouter” in a bakery or salon de thé. My favorite thing to do with her was enjoy a hot chocolate and a croissant or strawberry tart. I remember those moments like it was yesterday and I cherish them. So when I moved to the States I realized you don’t really have lots of small bakeries where you can sit down and enjoy a nice moment with family and friends so I wanted to recreate that atmosphere.
I studied interior design so my first goal was to create a bakery with seating and a cozy ambiance, almost like at home. I wanted this bakery to be a happy place so I went all in with happy colors such as pink and lots of flowers. I also wanted to create a big open window through the kitchen so people could see us bake all day. I opened Victoria’s cake to create memories! Everybody loves sweets and desserts so why not create the perfect place to enjoy this while being in a very Parisian atmosphere?

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

My name is Victoria Marmet and I am 23 years old. I am French and moved to the States in 2018. I always dreamed of opening a cute Parisian bakery with seating so people can enjoy a nice treat with family and friends. I opened Victoria’s Cake with my mother in September 2021. I studied interior design and my mother was a nutritionist so we had no idea how to bake or handle a bakery. When we first opened, we hired a pastry chef to take care of all the baked goods because we wanted to have all our products baked on-site and homemade. Unfortunately, this person left after 1 month of opening. We couldn’t find someone else to hire at that time so I had to step up. I was lucky enough to be trained by the previous pastry chef of the Waldorf Astoria in NY. He helped me during 2 weeks to learn all the basics of patisserie. I had to learn the rest by myself. I am now a self-taught pastry chef and cake decorator for 2 years.
Victoria’s Cake is a New Jersey-based boutique bakery. We offer a variety of homemade French pastries, cupcakes, layer cakes, macaroons, and pound cakes, as well as beverages in a girly atmosphere. We can also do wedding cakes and catering for special occasions. We host baking classes every month as well as princess tea parties for little girls. We are very successful and now have a wonderful team of women.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Concerning my bakery, Victoria’s Cake, I would say mostly our quality and customer service. All our products are homemade and baked on-site. The majority of our ingredients come all the way from France. We use a fusion of French and American baking to create the best experience for our customers. Our desserts are not overly sweet and always have a very appealing look. So the quality of what we sell builds our reputation.
The second thing might be our customer service. It might sound silly but being here for your customer is a very important detail. We always greet our customers with a smile and a friendly attitude. We want customers to remember their experience so for any orders, we take as much time as needed to create the perfect dessert. We are attentive to their needs and follow their requests.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The majority of our clients are coming from the neighborhood and town we are located in. So once they enjoyed their experience at Victoria’s Cake, they spread the word about us. Word of mouth has been one of the best sources to get new clients as well as social media. Being present on social media is also very important and can attract new customers from different towns. It is great to post every day and also work with local bloggers or influencers​ to attract another audience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.victoriascakeofficial.com
• Instagram: @victoriascakeofficial
• Facebook: @victoriascakeofficial
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/victorias-cake-westfield

Image Credits
Victoria’s Cake images