Sara Brook 4:01
Right out of college. I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and the spring of 1983. I had absolutely no plans whatsoever hadn’t given post college a second thought. And so first thing that came to my head was well, I’ll go to law school I’ll study for the LSAT and that’ll that’ll buy me three years. And I was working as a paralegal and quickly realized how much I hated it. I hated dressing up. I hated being told when I could go to lunch and you know, I just it just wasn’t gonna be for me. And so I I was still living at home and my parents house and decided that maybe I would cater desserts. Now, granted, there is no such thing as somebody who caters dessert. Yes. And that was so long ago, like, people didn’t toss around the word entrepreneur. And I mean, that wasn’t a thing. And so I was totally making things up as I went. And I always say it’s great to be 21 and not know what you don’t know. Because then you think you can do anything as and like a typical 21 year old, I know that you have a few that are in that range. And yeah, I just thought I could do anything. And so as I said, I just made it up as I went along. And after a year in my parents house, I opened my first retail location. And that was 40 years ago, this October. Wow. I know. So I got started and sold. Three businesses, and dessert gallery is my favorite and my current and the best they were all dessert related. So the first one I catered desserts, I had some wholesale accounts.
Odette D’Aniello 6:32
What kind of desserts did you do? What kind?
Sara Brook 6:36
I’ve always been partial to like homemade yummy, all American desserts, you know, like, an amazing chocolate chip cookie that, you know, I dip in chocolate. I mean, doing it? You know, 40 years ago was a big deal because that wasn’t a thing yet.
So yeah, so old fashion home may, you know, I was never want it. You know, I could appreciate beautiful things flying out of the deserts. But that wasn’t what I did. Of course, my background is in sociology and computer science. So I know nothing about business, nothing about culinary. Nothing about you know, baking, but that never stopped me. And I’m purely self taught it you know, all my businesses have come from the heart, I love what I do, I love I love the impact that it has on the world. And I feel like, you know, we’re part of people’s special occasions, their holidays, their birthdays. And you know, even you know, when when there’s a loss. You know, our desserts are there to hopefully make people feel better. And it’s really special. I mean, I’ve got people who I remember when they got a gauge that dessert Gallery, and now their kids are like, in middle school. And I knew their you know, their, their mom or their grandma used that desserts for their, you know, family occasions. So it’s, it’s a really special business.
Odette D’Aniello 8:49
And people are attracted to it because there’s love in it. I mean, there’s just really something about something made with love versus something that’s just machine made, that’s mass produced, you can taste.
Sara Brook 9:02
Absolutely, absolutely. Every once in a while. So every day I take my laps around the kitchen, and multiple times a day. And if I see something and someone’s like, you know, not lovingly caressing the batter is there, you know. I’m like, no, mucho amore, mucho amore. And yeah, whoever I’m saying it to just rolls their eyes and then they, you know, then they then they get back to the lab.
Odette D’Aniello 9:40
Right, right. I love that. So when you started the business, how did you fund it? Was it I know you were young? You’re 21 So how did you How are you able to open a store?
Sara Brook 9:51
You know, that’s a great question. So I was living at home and working Get home. So I had no overhead. And I was very fortunate. My parents were very supportive of what I was doing, even though they totally didn’t understand like, but your education. But you know, but but they were also very kind and very supportive every step of the way, and I don’t know, when you don’t have any overhead.
Odette D’Aniello 10:34
You packed it all in and then plus, we have no overhead, you don’t necessarily, probably don’t think of the risk any anyway. Right?
Sara Brook 10:45
Well, and like I said, I was 21. I didn’t, I didn’t even know what risk was. So for me, it wasn’t risky. To me, it was way more risky to think of going to law school, and having that boring life. So that was risky to me. So, you know, it’s been a dream to, you know, have this play out. And over a 40 year career, I was not sure I would wish it on anybody. But that being said, I wouldn’t be doing anything else. And I’ve had opportunities. When I was a junior at the University of Texas, I did a cooperative engineering internship at IBM and San Jose. And I saw I lived in Palo Alto, I worked in San Jose. And I still keep in touch with my boss, and I still think of them. But that’s funny life’s twists and turns. So I could I could have, you know, done that. He finally stopped recruiting me after about 20 years. But we still stay in touch. And, yeah, but I’m glad I’m baking.
Odette D’Aniello 12:13
I’m glad you’re making cookies too. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be friends. That’s right. So when, when you had that first bakery, you you transition from that into another business?
Sara Brook 12:28
Yeah. So I my second business I, I developed… Remember, I told you, I did cookies dipped in chocolate, you know, you know, back back a long time ago? And so I created this product. I was just looking to see if maybe I had an old dryer on my my bookshelf, but it was it was a chocolate dip. And it was called the great chocolate camera. And I marketed it to grocery stores and gift stores, department stores, farmers markets all over the country. I had distributors set up, I would go to the Fancy Food Show in New York, Cisco. And you know, buyers would come by and you know, add my product to their product line. Crate and Barrel once did this really big promotion saying that fondue was back. And they sold like a million of the jars of chocolate. And so that was really cool. And after a couple years, I sold that company to a company out of Tulsa where I consulted for two years. And when my contract was up, I I was I was a single mother by then. And wasn’t sure what I was gonna do with myself. And Jen didn’t like me coming to nursery school to pick her up early because she wanted to play with her friend. So I knew I really needed a life and, you know, as a single mom, you know, I wanted to be able to pick her up at school and, you know, be at her, you know, little events. And the only way I could figure out how to do it was to start another company. So that was the start of dessert gallery. And as I was starting it back in the beginning of 1995 I would drag her to everything she was at every meeting and I still have our little drawings and on my bulletin board because they were so cute. I mean she was four years old learning about logos and And, and trying to help me come up and she was trying to help me come up with a name for the business and one of them was Sara and Jen’s cafe. So cute. And yeah, so she was there every step of the way. And we open the week before her fifth birthday.
Odette D’Aniello 15:28
Oh my gosh. And she Wow, she’s now 26. Right?
Sara Brook 15:32
Oh, ma’am, she is about to turn 34.
Odette D’Aniello 15:37
What? Yeah, she’s the real person. For some reason, time stood still in my brain.
Sara Brook 15:50
I know, you know what? People ask me. How’s Jennifer? In my mind, I’m still, you know, patting her over. But then I see her and she’s like, you know, eight inches taller than the and I’m definitely not patting her over my shoulder.
Odette D’Aniello 16:09
So you i Now I remember you did. You are like a pioneer in the early days of the CPG. Right. CPG consumer products.
Sara Brook 16:26
Yeah, I introduced that product at a time when nutritional labeling was just coming out.
Odette D’Aniello 16:37
Consumer packaged goods. I don’t know why I forgot that. Because I had a CPG. That and we had that discussion about the chocolate sauce. But that is a I’m so glad you sold it. Because it’s not easy.
Sara Brook 16:52
No, it is not.
Odette D’Aniello 16:53
And you made it right. Did y’all make it there?
Sara Brook 16:56
Yeah. In fact, you want to hear something amazing is the gentleman who he was like one of my first employees. And his aunt was my first employee. And then we needed more help. And she said, You know, I have a nephew who might like to work here. And I’m just like, great. Anyway, so that was 38 years ago. And last month, that was 38 years ago, and we still work together. And yeah, I mean, he’s an incredible human.
Odette D’Aniello 17:37
That was the gift of the chocolate sauce business.
Sara Brook 17:40
Absolutely. The gift of the first business that I started and ended up selling, and then started the second one, but he’s been there every step of the way, is like such a constant in my life. And I’m very fortunate to have that. And in fact, a lot of the people that work here in the kitchen have been here, not 38 years, but but somebody just had their 24th anniversary. They’re 22nd. We’ve got, I’ve got people who I mean, they started when they were in high school, and now they’re, you know, in their 30s.
Odette D’Aniello 18:25
Why do you think that is? What’s what’s the key to having like, what is motivates them to stay? Like, what’s your secret for longevity?
Sara Brook 18:51
I always hire for what I see on the inside, not necessarily for a specific skill. And it has served me well. The people that have been here for so many years. I mean, some of them are like my children and they know that. And, uh, you know, that was so crazy. I’ll never forget the first time. You know, I got a new employee and realizing, Oh, my God, I could be their mother. This boy, I could be their grandmother. So, yeah, so I’m definitely a nurturer. I have one daughter and she doesn’t live nearby and so she lives near me. Yeah, exactly. So I have lots of people that I can lead on and, you know, at times their children have worked here and you know, subsequently moved on or, and it’s just an it’s very special.
Odette D’Aniello 20:01
I love that. And you know what? It is like working for a desert company, like, I remember wants to be your friend when you own. Seriously the motivation for own to own a bakery is if you want friends own a bakery.
So right now there’s like, you sold the CPG, started Dessert Gallery. And I know you have the I liked the way you structured your business, because you have a commissary kitchen that distributes to retail stores. And then you currently are in the middle of a big project. So can you tell us more about that?
Sara Brook 20:51
Yes. I am. About 10 weeks, or 12 weeks out from opening up another location. Something I swore I would never do. I was done with that. I’m happy. I have my commissary. I have my retail store. Everything’s working great. And, here I am. So I have this great picture. Can I share my screen?
Odette D’Aniello 21:21
Yeah, absolutely.
Sara Brook 21:22
I’ll show show you. What it looks like. It’s the tiniest little space. Isn’t that’s so pretty?
Odette D’Aniello 21:31
It’s so cute. And that’s not that’s not a rendering. That’s the real space currently?
Sara Brook 21:38
No, this is a rendering. This is a rendering thing. And it’s, it’s only like, I can’t remember it’s 1100 or 1300 feet. But it’s big enough to put in a lot of desserts on display. And a little bit of room for seating. But you know what COVID did to change my business was, whereas we used to be. And at the original cafe, we are packed on the weekends and sometimes in the evenings. But now, so much of our businesses to go. And so we’re not even going to have China and the new store. We’re going to have I just designed a new container for our slices that’s embossed with our logo, and everything’s gonna be packaged to go.
Odette D’Aniello 22:44
I like that. You don’t need to, you know, clean up. But it’s beautiful. So, our for our listeners. We’re only an audio if you can go on YouTube. Under Celebrity Gourmet Podcast, you’ll see what Sara is sharing. It’s a beautiful space and the color. My favorite color. Yeah. I love it. It’s the color of healing. It’s awesome. It’s beautiful. And I love how it looks like it’s from Europe.
Sara Brook 23:24
Oh, thank you.
Odette D’Aniello 23:25
Very European.
Sara Brook 23:26
Yeah, that’s so nice. So I’m very excited here. I’ll go. I’ll go back to
Odette D’Aniello 23:33
Are those custom cases? display cases?
Sara Brook 23:39
Yes. The room temperature case will be two levels. And we’ll just have two levels of room temperature desserts, you know, cookies and bars and cupcakes and room temperature cakes. And then at the end there’s going to be a refrigerated case. And we actually have to grab and go containers one is refrigerated One of them’s not. So if you’re in a hurry, you can just you know, grab it and go.
Odette D’Aniello 24:11
I love it. Can’t wait to go to Houston.
Sara Brook 24:14
Yeah, yeah. I think you’re coming to Houston. Right for IDDBA.
Odette D’Aniello 24:21
Oh, yes, I am. IDDBA, for our listeners, if you don’t know, it’s the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association. Yeah. So I went to the one in Anaheim this year. So I’ll see you and that’s when I texted you. I said I’m gonna go Houston to visit to visit with you.
Sara Brook 24:48
Yeah, yeah, that’ll be great.
Odette D’Aniello 24:51
So you’re going to be opening that in 10 weeks? Yes.
Sara Brook 24:55
Yes.
Odette D’Aniello 24:56
Oh my gosh. I love how you had planned it. it so that it’s like a different model from your current. So it’s not going to be like it is it further Is it much further?
Sara Brook 25:07
It is it’s actually 40 miles from our commissary. But this is Houston and everything is really spread out. So 40 miles isn’t that crazy? I mean, it’s all freeway. It’s in a great area of town. And we decided to go there because so we do a lot of business on third party, meaning DoorDash, Uber. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah. And so we were looking to them to share, you know, so what’s the next biggest market? Because our original Cafe is already in the biggest market. We thought that would give us a hint about where we should go next. And we’re super excited.
Odette D’Aniello 25:59
Where is it? Where’s it going to be located?
Sara Brook 26:02
It’s called The Woodlands.
Odette D’Aniello 26:04
The Woodlands, it’s outside of Houston?
Sara Brook 26:07
Well, no, believe it or not. 40 I mean, it’s 40 Miles
Odette D’Aniello 26:10
It’s in the middle of Houston. Yeah.
Sara Brook 26:15
Yes, it’s crazy. Houston is so sprawling, yes. You know. I mean, it’s so silly. You know, when I’m in New York, you know, you you walk everywhere. But here, like, if you’re going to one part of the shopping center, and you want to go to the other side of the shop, you get in your car and you drive to it. It’s so silly. We drive everywhere. We don’t walk anywhere. Of course, it’s like 500 degrees outside. So that’s also part of it.
Odette D’Aniello 26:55
I know. It’s 98 degrees in in Washington, currently. 98 degrees in the Pacific Northwest. Just unbelievable. I know. It’s but as I was telling my daughter, the weather is one thing you can’t complain about. You can’t do anything about it. Right? Go in and get cool then or go out.
Sara Brook 27:20
You know, I hear I hear so many people complaining about the weather and I was like it’s Houston, Texas.
Odette D’Aniello 27:30
I know my daughter was telling me that she was like, it’s so hot. I’m like you are stating the obvious. There’s nothing you can do about it. So tell me. I know that the the bakery’s all encompassing. But what do you do like on your free time?
Sara Brook 27:48
I have a darling little Pomeranian.
Odette D’Aniello 27:52
Oh. Can you travel with?
Sara Brook 27:56
He’s not that little. I mean, he’s 15 pounds. 13 pounds? I don’t know something like that. No, no, I don’t travel with him.
Odette D’Aniello 28:06
I can still put him in a backpack. That’s what I want.
Sara Brook 28:09
Yeah, yeah. He’s pretty cute. He’s head of office security. Yeah, he goes with me everywhere.
Odette D’Aniello 28:18
Bodyguard. Yes. The bakery bodyguard.
Sara Brook 28:25
Absolutely. Yeah, so I took a trip. Jen and I went to Vancouver, we actually took the train from Seattle to Vancouver and it was so fun. So and I’ve got some big you know, some nice trips coming up. So it is nice to be in a place where I get to take a little time. And you know, and get away.
Odette D’Aniello 29:01
Well, that’s the brilliance of of building a team. Right? That’s that you love on? Yeah, you can, you know, have a life.
Sara Brook 29:10
Yeah, yeah, you can have a wide that’s amazing. Well,
Odette D’Aniello 29:15
I wanted to ask you like, like when last question like if you were to a few last questions. So here are your biggest mentors like when you are you know, as you were building this business been around for so long? Like what were your biggest mentors are there like key people that just directed your choices and your decision making?
Sara Brook 29:45
You know, I’ve been very fortunate to have people in my life who are willing to give me the time of day and let me been their ear whether it’s general business or baking business, and of course being part of the, you know, the industry organizations has been huge. I mean, I learned so much. And I also, I went through the Goldman Sachs 10,000 small businesses program. You know, if I had it all to do over again, I would have directed my college studies a little differently. Because I think there’s something to be said, for having having a little more direction and a little, I mean, my direction was always clear, but it wasn’t because I like learned about it in school. And I think that that is really helpful. I mean, I got a lot out of the time that I’ve spent studying and learning and being part of, you know, like, Vistage and usage. I was invested for many years. And, you know, just learning about general business. There’s so many layers to business, there’s, you know, obviously, there’s finances and people and real estate and systems and technology. And I mean, and that’s before you even open the kitchen door, right, you know, and then that kind of information, I think, is also really helpful. So, yeah. Mentors anywhere, you can find them, whether it’s in, you know, networking groups, classes. You know, it can be a little isolating and lonely to be an entrepreneur. And so I think those are really important resources to have.
Odette D’Aniello 31:59
To build a community around you,to support you and, you know, to have your experiences be mirrored back. And that’s so important. Right.
Sara Brook 32:09
You know, It was so interesting, the conversations that we just had a meeting in Pittsburgh, which was the first time we had gathered,
Odette D’Aniello 32:16
This is RPIA. Yeah, yeah, those are listeners what that meeting was about.
Sara Brook 32:21
it’s, so it was amazing. So first of all, the last time we had all gotten together was the first week of March 2020. And I don’t know if that rings a bell to anybody. A second. No, not me, not me. The second week of March 2020, the whole world shut down. Right? So the first week of 2020. Mark, March. And it was funny. I remember at the meeting like
Odette D’Aniello 32:51
These are all bakery owners.
Sara Brook 32:54
Owners, owners, and I’m like, Hey, has anybody heard of COVID? Like, are you doing anything? What do you think’s gonna happen? And everybody looked at me like, I was crazy. And then the next week, we shut down. So anyway, fast forward to just a few weeks ago, we were together again for the first time, and that was so nice to be together again. Because, you know, it was nice to see that, you know, people were stay safe and that they had thrive, and that we were all still there. It was good to hug people. And you know, it was it was it was good to be together again. And it was good to feel like, you know, the, our community was back together.
Odette D’Aniello 33:52
Yes. And the meeting itself, when when the annual meeting for this organization means bakery tours, yes, or 10 bakeries, correct?
Sara Brook 34:04
Yes, it’s the best.
Odette D’Aniello 34:06
And what I love, and you could share, like, what was your experience with that whole tour?
Sara Brook 34:14
So it was so it’s always interesting to see how other people operate, have a problem. How are they handling that problem?And it’s a smaller group. And so people are so generous. Yes, giving, when you ask a question, they don’t just answer yes or no. It’s like, here’s the resource. And here’s how I did it. And you might want to think about this. And I mean, just such an incredible experience. And this happened to have been a short meeting. So I think we just had a day and a half or two days of tours and that. I mean, I love we were in one bakery, actually both both bakeries, multiple locations of two different bakeries. And then another bakery, that’s more of a manufacturer in all of the bakeries we went to, there are multiple generations of people, you know, founders working with their children and their grandchildren. And it was beautiful. You know, in one bakery. The owners who I had befriended and RPIA had just sold to their son, and I remember their son coming to meetings, and he was like, in high school, and now he owns the company. So it makes us that Bethel Bethel Bakery. Yeah. Yeah. And I love seeing, you know, Scott Baker, fifth five generation bakers. Yes, cinnamon rolls, was the bread, the cinnamon bread that they sell on QVC. And, you know, his dad was there. And, and then Oakmont bakery, which is Wow. Just like, I don’t even know how to describe how big this bakery and retail space was, it was and it was gorgeous. And so much to learn, and they just completely open up the whole place. All the places we went, you can look at their mixers, and how do they do their process and look at their ovens.
Odette D’Aniello 36:45
And recipes. Do you want to share with the leader recipes? We have a good thing this thing flopped. What can I do? It’s like, it’s amazing, right? Yeah. That’s what that’s what the bakery industry is. And that’s what I love about it is it’s a very congenial sharing industry. And people are just so real. You know, there’s no, you can’t really be fake when all you you know, when you’re baking. Yeah, people have a really like, kind. Yeah, yeah,
Sara Brook 37:19
It was great. It was really great.
Odette D’Aniello 37:25
Well, I’m so glad that I’m sorry, I’m this this one meeting. But hopefully I’ll go to I’ll see you at IDDBA. And then hopefully, I’ll go to the next RPIA. Because I had a I had a big food show that I had to be at. But I also wanted to just do the very last question. And I asked this of all my guests, if you could talk to your younger self. What would you tell her?
Sara Brook 38:07
You always have to do things the hard way. And what I guess what I wish you could reverse it right? You know, what I would be referring to is the fact that you know, I went to college to study, you know, one thing, and then just like, totally made up a different career that nobody had ever even heard of at that time. And like, you know, I’m sure there’s easier ways to have, you know, built a career build a life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I know it’s not for everyone, but I love it and wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.
Odette D’Aniello 38:46
It’s so beautiful. Sara. Well, did you hear? I just launched, I interviewed Patty Stobaugh of Patticakes from Arkansas. And she told a story of her grandmother. The last words out of her mouth right before she took her last breath was it didn’t have to be that hard. So I was like, right, so similar to you. It just rings true. It’s like, we just make it hard for ourselves sometimes.
Sara Brook 39:19
Yeah, yeah, we do.
Odette D’Aniello 39:22
Not anymore. We’re gonna travel. We’re gonna have fun. make beautiful things make people happy. Yes. Yes. Amen. Thank you so much, Sara, for being on my podcast. I am so grateful that you took the time today to talk to you soon.
Sara Brook 39:42
Yeah, so good to be here. Thanks for having me.
Outro 39:48
Thanks for listening to the Celebrity Gourmet Podcast. We’ll see you again next time. And be sure to click subscribe to get future episodes.