I’ve been an artist and designer (jefdesigns.com) for 25 years. But starting in 2020 I developed a love of baking that became an obsession. Since then it’s branched out into French entremets and chocolate bonbons. Last year I made it official and registered FIKA as a cottage bakery.
A cottage bakery is a small-scale, home-based bakery that allows one to build their business before committing to a retail space. I consider them the food carts of the dessert world. Portland, OR is a perfect location for a business of this kind. People value interesting and different types of food, and have flocked to support unconventional businesses, whether it’s a food cart, a pop-up, or a cottage bakery.
Running a cottage bakery has been helpful in many ways. Since I create my own schedule with bake sales and popups, I’m still able to run my design business. And because my menu can change with each sale, I have the freedom to experiment with new recipes.
An unexpected benefit was the sense of connection with the community I was missing during COVID. Meeting new people at pop-ups has created new customers and even some friendships. There are challenges though. As a one man business, I wear all the hats: baker, marketer, bookkeeper, customer service. But the joys far outweigh the challenges.