bake - October 2016 - 34

the
survivor
Billy Vanilly proves
a strong brand can
carry you through the
highs and lows of a
monumental trend.
BY JOHN UNREIN
It's been seven years since the height of the cupcake

my family; I don't have another job. Owning a

Gourmet cupcakes

trend, and hundreds, if not thousands, of cupcakeries

cupcake store gave me a stable life with my two girls,

now account for

have fallen by the wayside since the market crumbled.

and that is what I'm proudest of."

two-thirds of sales

Yet here in Topeka, Kansas, a blue-collar city hit by

at Billy Vanilly.

massive job losses in recent years, a cupcake shop plans
th

Beyond the emotional side of this story, there is a

to celebrate its 10 anniversary next year and continues

lesson to be learned for any bakery owner that must

to sell plenty of $2 and $3.50 cupcakes to remain profit-

navigate the harsh ebbs and flows of running a family

able while expanding from one to three locations. How

business. How does one ride the wave of a huge

did owner Allyson Fiander ever manage?

consumer trend and then stay afloat in the aftermath?

She wonders the same, looking back upon the early

For Fiander, she points to several key decisions that

thrill of the roller-coaster ride that took Billy Vanilly

proved highly effective in maintaining profitability.

from 85 percent growth in year three to an unavoid-

First, she decided to build a brand with high internal

able decline in sales volume that barely kept the shop

standards. The French-trained pastry chef had

open. Fiander does not have the luxury of family

worked 15 years in restaurants and pastries prior to

money or investors. In fact, she worked much of the

opening her Topeka bakery in 2007. She knows the

past decade as the sole bread winner/single mom of

difference between a good-tasting pastry and a great

two daughters, Chloe Philippe, a sophomore at the

one. It is essential to create standards for quality of

University of Kansas who manages their Lawrence

ingredients, production and presentation. She stuck

store, and 11-year-old Juliette, an aspiring cake deco-

to the plan.

rator who once explained to her mom that she could
work for the bakery under federal labor laws once she

Once cupcake sales began to dip, Fiander gradu-

turns 12.

ally expanded her product line to include cookies,
brownies, pies and cakes. Today, cupcakes represent

"This has been a journey of hardship and amazement,"

65 percent of total sales. She's also added lunch

Fiander says today. "Since day one, I have supported

items such as soups, panini sandwiches and delicious

34 < OCT 2016 | bakemag.com


http://www.bakemag.com

bake - October 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of bake - October 2016

bake - October 2016
The Promotion Issue - The Hiring Dilemma
Table of Contents
News Bites - Boudin Bakery Names CEO
Bantam Bagels Expands Distribution
AIB Launches New Certification
Equity Group Buys Wetzel’s Pretzels
Personality - Anne Heap
Management - Measuring Your Metrics
bake - October 2016 - bake - October 2016
bake - October 2016 - 2
bake - October 2016 - The Promotion Issue - The Hiring Dilemma
bake - October 2016 - 4
bake - October 2016 - Table of Contents
bake - October 2016 - Equity Group Buys Wetzel’s Pretzels
bake - October 2016 - 7
bake - October 2016 - Personality - Anne Heap
bake - October 2016 - 9
bake - October 2016 - Management - Measuring Your Metrics
bake - October 2016 - 11
bake - October 2016 - 12
bake - October 2016 - 13
bake - October 2016 - 14
bake - October 2016 - 15
bake - October 2016 - 16
bake - October 2016 - 17
bake - October 2016 - 18
bake - October 2016 - 19
bake - October 2016 - 20
bake - October 2016 - 21
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