Today we’d like to introduce you to Ernesto Rojas.
Ernesto, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As a child I have always had a passion for cooking and being in the kitchen. Once I graduated from high school I took a couple of courses and eventually decided on pursing my culinary career. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to cook. I graduated from culinary school in late 2006 and one day I decided I would go into baking. At first it started more as a hobby, I had one or two cake orders a month, which was wonderful to me. As the years passed and my skills got better I eventually got more popular with my customers. My business grew mostly by word of mouth from all my customers. I had the privilege of making a cake for Houston’s own Slim Thug, and our past mayor Anise Parker’s wedding and inaugural cake. Today business is great, I love working with all of my customers and creating that special cake for any event they may have.
Has it been a smooth road?
Cake making or anything in the food industry is not always consistent, I always have that fear that sometimes I may not get as many cake orders as the past month. Luckily as I have grown as a cake artist business has grown and grown, but you just have to be patient and continue to do what you love and only time and your hard work will tell what is in store for you.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the D’lites Cakes story. Tell us more about the business.
D’Lites Cakes specializes in custom cakes, cupcakes and desserts. My main focus of course is cakes and cupcakes, but I don’t shy away from dessert bars or anything for people with a sweet tooth. I am very proud to say that I started this company from almost 12 years ago, with having 1 to 2 cake orders a month. Now a days, I usually have anywhere from 6 to 12 orders a week. Not by advertising anywhere, it’s all mainly by word of mouth. I like to make everything fresh for my customers, I’m proud to say that this is a one man show, I bake everything decorate everything, and this past year my fiancé Richard has stepped up and he helps me deliver orders when I am extremely busy and can’t do it myself. What sets me apart from the competition is that I make cakes big or small, my prices are fairly reasonable for this industry, and everything I make is designed for that specific order.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I would love to see my company grow, maybe even have the opportunity to make some celebrity cakes ( Beyoncé ), maybe even have a TV show where I can teach people what I love to do. Cake trends change every year, so I don’t know what the next big thing will be but I already look forward to doing it.
Pricing:
- Cupcakes range from $2.50 to 6. Depending on the design and artwork
- Cakes start off at $3.50 per serving, and they go up depending on design and artwork
Contact Info:
- Address: 1911 Holcombe Blvd
- Website: www.facebook.com/dlitescakes
- Phone: 8328751679
- Email: dlitescakes@gmail.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/dlitescakes
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/d-lites-cakes-catering-and-more-houston-2
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