Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Hardy.
Hi Kimberly, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Cooking/Baking have always been a passion of mine. As far back as I can remember the kitchen has been my happy place. I would always be in the kitchen when my grandmother was preparing meals soaking up all the knowledge, tips, and techniques she used. I remember getting up extra early on Saturday mornings to binge-watch all of my favorite cooking shows, like Julia Childs, instead of cartoons like most kids my age.
My passion for cooking never faded and at a young age, I realized I had a gift for blending flavors and making people happy with my food. I cooked my first full Thanksgiving dinner at 15 and knew then I wanted to make a living cooking for others and seeing the smiles on their faces after tasting my food.
I was always the go-to person for food advice at any job like what we should eat for lunch and what flavors went well with each other and I loved hosting dinner parties/barbeques at my house for my family and friends. They would often tell me my food was “good enough to sell” or that I should consider making a living out of my passion.
In 2012 I started selling plates and was given the opportunity in 2020 to be a dessert vendor for a chicken restaurant and that’s where my business, Kimi’s Kakes, was born. The rest is history!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The road has not always been smooth. When the pandemic hit in 2020 it put a pause on my plans to expand my business and place my desserts into other restaurant locations as everything was shutting down and it was a very scary time for us all.
The chicken restaurant I had my desserts in ended up having to close its doors and I was left without a place to offer my desserts. At that point, I decided to become a home-based baker and offer catering services until the state of the union was better and I could regroup when things opened.
I was determined to see my business become successful by any means necessary.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have a catering company that specializes in desserts. My menu is 100% customizable and I love to work with clients to create a one-of-a-kind dining experience. My slogan is “Love at First Bite” because once you taste my food/dessert you will instantly be transferred to a happy place.
I am proud to have a business that uses quality ingredients and is affordable for all budgets. We didn’t have a lot growing up so it was always important for me to have reasonable prices so that everyone had access to good quality food for their special events.
I would like others to know how passionate I am about my brand and that the main ingredient that goes into anything I make is Love.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I would like to give my grandmother credit for sparking my interest for good food and cooking. She would always let me help her in the kitchen and her encouragement gave me the confidence I carry on today in every aspect of my life. I know she would be proud of me sticking with it and being able to make a living doing something I’ve always loved.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kimiskakes817
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/kimiskakes817
