Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mariana Cortez, Founder and CEO of Bunnie Cakes, located in Miami, FL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a Hispanic-owned, female-founded, award-winning vegan, allergy-friendly specialty bakery that caters to families and those with different nutritional needs. We’re known as the vegan birthday party destination!
We offer an array of delicious baked goods, including cupcakes (both regular and gluten-free), donuts, cakes, and other treats that are vegan certified, dairy-free, soy-free, peanut-free, nut-free, and kosher, and made with no artificial sugar.
We don’t sacrifice taste, texture, or consistency in our recipes, and our products are popular with vegans and non-vegans alike. We sell both online and in-store at our Miami headquarters. We are school-friendly and perfect for families since we don’t use any of the major allergens. As far as our values, we believe in optimism, inclusion, and love! Our brand has a cheerful, colorful, and welcoming vibe, designed to make everyone feel at home.
Tell us about yourself
As a mom of five, my children are everything to me, and I started Bunnie Cakes in 2009 when my oldest son Luke, who was allergic to dairy, needed a birthday cake. I couldn’t find any vegan (or gluten-free) options whatsoever in stores (much less any options that were beautiful and delicious!), so I decided to bake something myself. I used an old family recipe and replaced the non-vegan ingredients with vegan options. It took a lot of trial and error, but eventually, I created something wonderful!
From there, I started cooking out of my kitchen and selling my products to local restaurants and stores in the Miami area. I left my corporate job and focused on baking exclusively. Demand increased, and in addition to restaurants, individuals and families started asking for cakes and cupcakes. I decided to start offering B2C products as well. Eventually, I was able to open my first storefront in 2013 — the first-ever vegan bakery in Miami! I also appeared on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, where the judges loved my creations.
I’m deeply passionate about our mission and producing kind, environmentally conscious, and crowd-pleasing products! I want to help other moms and families that might be struggling to find options that work for schools, diverse groups, etc. Our motto is “our heart with every cupcake” because I genuinely put my heart and soul into everything we bake.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We have been able to establish our business and work with national brands like Starbucks as the first vegan item in Starbucks' cases and Wholefoods where we are introducing 11 new products to create the vegan party destination with this collaboration. We have won several awards, such as "Best vegan bakery" and "Best cupcake" by the Miami New Times, and the job creation awards in 2019 for creating more than 20 job positions. I have participated in several national shows like Cupcake Wars and Chopped Sweets on Food Network.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
There are many challenges when you decide to be an entrepreneur or business owner. The biggest was to really believe in my dreams, re-strategize and plan each step of the way and have the resilience to continue even when things were hard.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Work smarter; strategy and planning should always come first.
- Ask for help when you don't know something, ask questions, and be curious, read.
- Be resilient and strong enough to continue moving forward, re-think possibilities, and find alternatives, but never give up.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
We are heavily invested in the diverse South Florida community and believe in being as inclusive as possible. We serve customers who may not be able to find options elsewhere, including gluten-free, peanut-free (school-friendly), and vegan selections.
In addition, by offering vegan foods, we use fewer resources and pride ourselves on being environmentally conscious and setting an example. Our packaging is plant-based, recyclable, and biodegradable. The majority of our products are organic-certified, and all are non-GMO.
As a female entrepreneur, I am also heavily involved in local groups, including Let’s Talk Women, a national organization where women food industry owners get together to support and encourage one another. I am also a member of Venprendadoras, a group of female Venezuelan entrepreneurs. We open the doors of Bunnie Cakes to host events for these and other groups.
Lastly, all of our unsold food is donated to food banks in Miami Dade through the Good Samaritan Meals organization.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://bunniecakes.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bunniecakes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msbunniecakes/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MARIBUNNIECAKES
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariana-cortez-91980b110/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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