Today we’d like to introduce you to Desirée Pete.
Desirée, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began Sugar Rush by Desi as a hobby in 2015 while I was working full time at an appliance retailer. It started with making a dozen cupcakes for one of my husband’s coworkers. They were a HIT. More orders started coming in for the same kind of cupcakes, but I like to try different things so I started experimenting with flavors and they became super popular, especially on social media.
I became so overwhelmed with orders that I would get off work at 5 pm and bake until 2 am or 3 am the next morning. On March 6, 2017, my former employer decided to lay our whole department off. I had been praying for God to show me where I needed to be because I was getting worn out from running Sugar Rush by Desi and working for my employer of 11 years, and I felt like being laid off was my sign that I needed to run Sugar Rush by Desi full time. Ever since then, I’ve been blessed that my business has flourished.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has definitely NOT been a smooth road. I am the only employee of my business, so I’m the baker, the manager, the scheduler and customer service. It sometimes gets very overwhelming, but every time I feel like I’ve hit a wall, God makes a way for me to push through. I’ve been blessed to come across some amazing customers, and they make this journey worthwhile.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Sugar Rush by Desi story. Tell us more about the business.
Sugar Rush by Desi is a home-based bakeshop that specializes in custom cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. I’m known for my beautiful and delicious decorated sugar cookies, but what I think really made my business stand out is the wide range of cupcake flavors I offer. My most popular cake/cupcake flavor is my Strawberry Dream. It’s to die for! The buttercream icing tastes just like Blue Bell strawberry ice cream.
I’m most proud of the fact that I’m a self-taught baker. I’ve never attended a class or had formal training for what I do; it’s mostly been learned by trial and error and by being with my grandmother Jane while she baked for her church members and our family.
What sets me apart from others is my ability to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s trendy. If there’s a flavor that I see is really popular in a particular season, I’ll try to incorporate it into cupcakes. I offer basic flavors, but what my customers (new and old) love most are my seasonal specialty flavors that I periodically add to the menu.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The cake and cupcake scene has seen a huge shift over the last 10 years or so, and I don’t see it slowing down any time soon. People will always have birthdays, so people will always want cakes and cupcakes. The trend right now is custom decorated sugar cookies, and I think that one is here to stay for a while. I’d like to see more people think outside the box when it comes to cakes. I love a challenge, so cakes with moving parts, unique shapes, and new techniques are what I’d like to see more of in the next three to five years.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.SugarRushByDesi.com
- Phone: 409-239-7253
- Email: SugarRushByDesi@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugarrush_bydesi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SugarRushByDesi/
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