Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Reilly.
Hi Jill, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
When the Real Estate market crashed back in 2008, my graphic design business (which was focused in the high-end custom home builder market) dried up and I needed to do something else! Baking and cake decorating had always come naturally to me so I used my graphic design and advertising background to launch a customized business doing designer cakes and cookies, and teaching cake decorating to children in their homes and mine!
I began in my home, but quickly realized that I needed a commissary kitchen which I promptly outgrew. My philosophy has always been “go big or go home” so in January 2010 we purchased an existing cake business… a small, 1200 square foot rental unit doing about 15-30 wedding cakes a year, and dove headfirst into learning the challenges of running a retail bakery business, and quickly doubled, and then tripled the sales.
A few years later we purchased a cupcakery location in the Downtown Gaslamp Area and expanded our custom cake growth to corporate clients and many downtown wedding venues. In 2015 after five years of continued growth we found ourselves in another “go big or go home” moment and decided to purchase a 6400 square foot building on Grand Avenue in Escondido for our Cute Cakes Bakery & Cafe… adding food, coffee & espresso, and an expanded line of daily pastries and treats. We let go of the downtown location and merged all accounts into our Escondido store. With excellent staff and a passion for celebrating with our guests, we have now grown from that original 30 weddings a year to 20-36 weddings each weekend… plus an even greater amount of daily celebrations!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Nothing worth having runs smoothly, and the retail food business is riddled with obstacles every day! Navigating the very strict building codes, health department regulations, and permitting was an unexpected headache and huge learning experience for me. I was very fortunate to find advocates for my business who helped me along the way and kept me focused on doing business while they helped me get everything approved. They were amazing.
Obviously, Covid has been an enormous struggle for our industry. Food establishments were hit first with shutdowns and opened last, and the restrictions we were under just to open our doors are not only costly for us a business, but not well accepted by the public and therefore some of our customers. Our amazing, but often very young customer service staff, were put in the roles of bouncers and enforcers, and were continually bombarded with harsh words and threats about the rules we were instructed to enforce. This added stress prompted many people to leave the customer service/hospitality industry to pursue another line of work.
The supply chain disruption continues to be a challenge, as does the unprecedented difficulty finding staff during the post-covid, “Great Resignation movement.” We have found ourselves in an industry-wide bidding war trying desperately to hire dishwashers and linecooks so that we can continue to service our customers who aren’t yet willing to pay more than they did pre-covid… even though the labor and ingredients costs have risen 35%-60%. We find ourselves living on a “teeter-totter”, carefully trying to balance production & labor with customer service, all the while trying to cover expenses and see some sort of profit.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work, in a nutshell, is about celebrating life and those moments that make it special. It could be big events like Birthdays, Anniversaries, Weddings, New Babies, New Schools, New Jobs! It could also be about family dinner night, throwing the winning pitch, celebrating the life of a loved one who has passed or waking up with a feeling of hope and joy after a long recovery from something that was difficult. Everyone’s celebrations are different and each moment equally important.
While we are best known for our Artistic Wedding and Designer Cakes, Cupcakes and Desserts (“Hall of Fame” and “Best-Of” Winners on the Knot for 12 Years now), I think I’m most proud of the part we play in the daily lives of our customers and guests. I’ve had the joy of celebrating the high school graduation, then the college graduation, the engagement, wedding, first anniversary, baby shower and then first birthdays with several of my clients. I find myself in the unique position of being the “family bakery” for so many loyal customers, and the idea that when generations look through photo albums and Instagram posts, our cakes will be part of those celebrations… that’s my happy moment. That’s why I do what I do!
I think that is what sets us apart from other bakeries… of course along with our delicious family recipes and southern hospitality! We treat our customers like guests! They have asked us to help them celebrate and are welcoming us into a part of their lives. We take that job and responsibility seriously from the time we take their phone call until we present them with their delicious cake or desserts. While I prioritize extraordinary customer service, my wonderful staff is already steps ahead of me because they believe in our mission as much as I do.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Cute Cakes does sell cakes, but I want all of our clients to know about our delicious food as well! Our cafe has grown from “let’s offer a few breakfast items and a lunch sandwich or two” to a full blown Breakfast and Lunch menu that includes southern staples like Biscuits and Gravy, Biscuit Sandwiches, Quiche and Southern Sweet Tea to creative Benedicts, Panini’s (you must try the Apple Fritter Monte Cristo), Avocado Toasts and Delicious Salads! We also offer a nice selection of local craft beers, wines and MIMOSAS! Open from 8:00-4:00 Tuesday-Saturday for dining in, outside seating as well, and even a Back Lot Tent for larger parties and business meetings.
And because cooking for family and guests can be overwhelming when you’re busy with work and party planning, we have launched a CASUAL CATERING MENU filled with some of our signature favorites for any of your catering needs.
We now have an ONLINE STORE where clients can order just about anything that we offer from the comfort of their homes. We have launched our Classic Celebration line of designer cakes which are customizable and discounted, as well as our Boutique Wedding Cakes designed for smaller guest counts or smaller budgets. Our Daily Cutie Cakes, Cupcakes and Pastries can also be found at our online store.
Contact Info:
- Email: celebrations@cutecakes.com
- Website: www.CuteCakes.com
- Instagram: @cutecakes
- Facebook: @cutecakessd
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cute-cakes-escondido-3?osq=Cute+Cakes+Bakery
