Today we’d like to introduce you to Tessa Trace.
Tessa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The kitchen has been my creative outlet for as long as I can remember. I grew up in Zimbabwe surrounded by an abundance of natural food resources; one of my favorite childhood pastimes was exploring the outdoors for ingredients to experiment with in the kitchen. Reflecting back, it was reminiscent of the show “Chopped”, with my basket of mushrooms, eggs, de-winged flying ants and berries. With that being said, now is probably a great time to thank my dad for being a willing taste tester!
Transitioning into adulthood, a career in the culinary field was a natural fit for me. After graduating from The Art Institute of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in culinary management, I continued my culinary training in some of Houston’s iconic fine-dining kitchens, including Brennan’s of Houston and Cafe Annie, and expanded my knowledge in food operations, manufacturing and distribution.
Then came cookies! It was a sparked interest in edible print technology that led me to identify a fantastic market opportunity for custom cookies as a promotional product. Equipped with two baking pans and a KitchenAid mixer, I established Houston Cookie Crew in early 2013 from scratch, so to speak, just as the Cottage Food Laws were enacted, giving entrepreneurs the opportunity for a low risk startup as a home-based food business. Without the financial means to outsource, I became self-taught in aspects beyond my academic or empirical reach. I learned how to create a website utilizing SEO to appear on the first page of a Google search; and, within the first 18 months in business, I had acquired an incredible customer base, including national business with Target for a 14,000 custom cookie order for their holiday promotional program, and with Lexus for their December to Remember Sales Event. Fast forward seven years to present day, Houston Cookie Crew operates out of its’ own fully equipped, high-volume production kitchen, producing anywhere from 5K to 10K cookies/week during busy seasons, with room to grow.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There is no shortage of challenges associated with small business ownership – I have become quite agile at overcoming obstacles and responding to the unexpected. Employing a deep breath, intense focus and sheer grit usually work to navigate through the chaos. Of course, there are moments in the midst of a daunting issue of “if I knew then what I know now”, but they quickly fade with the successful completion of the task. In answering this question, so many memories made me aware how much dedication and determination are baked into every cookie. The time, with an A/C on the blink, the humidity levels compromised trays and trays of ready to package cookies. All hands on deck to remake the product was the only acceptable solution. Most recently, our dough sheeter, fundamental to high volume production, suffered an equipment failure so elusive it took the technician weeks to diagnose and repair. In the meantime, there were orders to fill. So without a functioning sheeter to roll out the dough, wooden rollers, well-worn from use in the early days of the company, were dusted off and put to work. I have developed an appreciation for new challenges, and even moments of failure, as an opportunity for growth and reward
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Houston Cookie Crew – what should we know?
Houston Cookie Crew specializes in custom themed and logo cookies catering to businesses and organizations to promote their branding efforts. We are equipped with the most advanced direct-to-food print technology; and, by eliminating the need for edible paper and icing borders, we have broad creative capabilities to create very cool custom designs, like product replica and themed-logo cookies. We work in collaboration with our customers to innovate cookie designs and packaging, and take great pride in contributing to the success of our customers by crafting the most tasteful branded cookies!
As a side project, I share cookie decorating tips and videos on our social media pages, and I am happy to respond to direct messages with cookie-related questions!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
There are so many people who play a meaningful role in my world. Our customers are truly awesome people and I feel honored by the trust and confidence that they place in the ability for my business to represent their brand. Vendors and food industry peers are among my greatest advocates, going over and beyond to support my efforts in any way they can. My husband, parents and friends; they have lived this journey with me, and it is because of their unconditional support that I have been able to accomplish 7 years in business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.houstoncookiecrew.com
- Email: info@houstoncookiecrew.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/houstoncookiecrew
- Facebook: facebook.com/houstoncookiecrew
Image Credit:
Quy Tran Photography
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