Meet Nubia Stephens of Social Bakehouse Cafe in Arlington

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I relocated from LA here to Dallas to purchase Social Bakehouse Cafe which has been around since 2005, so I bought and improved an existing business. I’ve worked in the entertainment industry for about 20 years, helped build brands behind the scenes and worked for a few celebrities, as well as did PR & Brand Marketing. I used to work for Kanye West’s Non-Profit Foundation, I was also the personal assistant to Kanye West’s mother Donda West, was there when she passed away giving her CPR, I worked for MTV/Nickelodeon, CBS, BET, I was a Radio DJ for Q97 and the list goes on. I recently resigned from Beats By Dr. Dre after working there for almost seven years in Product Development helping with New Product Launches, managing the builds of headphones, helping get the headphones build out and into the stores on time! I was one of the first 50/60 employees. I’ve always helped others and after doing that for soo long, I wanted to have something for myself, my family and my daughter so I decided to step out on faith and do my own thing which was leave the crazy hustle and bustle, and move to Dallas.

I wanted to go to ATL, but after many months praying on it, here I am in Dallas owning Social Bakehouse Cafe. I’ve always been an entrepreneur since I was in elementary school. In the 5th-8th grade I started a babysitting and house cleaning service. I also sold homemade crafts that my mother created so we could eat. Growing up wasn’t easy at all. My mother was a single mother who raised 4 kids on her own and we were homeless for a few years, with hardly anything to eat; I remember telling myself I was never going to live like this as an adult. I grew up in Fresno, CA and was a high school drop out due to getting kicked out of school, sold drugs, committed a few crimes for a quick buck and got nowhere. This was not the life I wanted to live, soo I went back and got my high school diploma (graduated top of my class), put myself through college, got my AS Degree in Journalism and my BA in Communications. In 2003 I wanted more for myself, so I packed up my car with $500 to my name and drove from Fresno to LA where I was enrolled at CSU Dominguez Hills, then transferred to Cal State LA earning my BA in Communications. I ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches everyday lol and kept on grinding in LA.

The more people doubted me, the more I kept going harder for myself. I got really focused once I became a single mother in 2012, that’s when I decided I have to go harder and really focused because now I have a little person that depends on me. I was an independent contractor, was not prepared for motherhood whatsoever, blew through my savings and had no job after having her with $20 to my name. A friend of mine, Alisha helped me land the job at Beats By Dr Dre, which now Apple owns. To make a long story short I had goals and dreams so I stacked every dollar, overtime and bonus I had earned. I also did events around Los Angeles, so from there I was able to make connections as well as earn some extra cash. I’ve always loved to cook, I’m a foodie and I have a hypersensitive pallet so that helps me a lot as well. After having my daughter and gaining weight due to being a foodie and having a sweet tooth, I stayed in the kitchen day and night for almost 2-3 years or so, created numaade which is a healthy sweets company that uses no added sugar, healthy ingredients and some are low carbs as well as diabetic/weight loss surgery friendly; numaade quickly took off and became my new love/passion igniting me to wanting to go further. After getting hurt really bad at work, I had to take time off to heal, go to many Dr’s, some procedures, physical therapy, etc. I felt depressed and had a lot of time on my hands to think and pray. I thought about my future, my next move and what’s next if I do not go back to work, etc. I planned everything out and thought about my passion which was cooking.

Owning my own cafe/coffee shop one day was always one of my dreams, soo I researched different cafes, coffee shops, etc. to purchase that I could afford with the money I had access to. After a few long months of searching, visiting different ones, etc. Social Bakehouse Cafe popped up unintentionally HA! I reached out, flew out to Dallas and boom everything fell into place. After a few months of negotiating, paper work, etc. here I am. The previous owners held my hand and helped me with the transition and taught me soo much, setting me up for success. I moved my immediate family from LA to Dallas to help and support which has been such a big blessing. I have never ran a business on this type of level before, had no previous cafe experience but you could never tell, after firing two bakers, I had to turn into a full-time baker overnight yikes BUT I did it! The challenges I had to face so far were very discouraging but I sucked it up and did what I had to do because quitting was not an option! There were many days and months where I would work almost two days straight without any sleep, the grind is oh soo real but it’s paying off. I have my LA family/friends rooting for me, encouraging me and reminding me I got this.

Although I miss Los Angeles most of the time, Dallas/Arlington has been amazing, very welcoming and soo supportive; I could not have asked for better. We also have some Gluten-Free Treats and I’ve also added some Vegan options to the menu and adding more over the upcoming weeks. We cannot keep our baked goods in the case for long, as they fly off the shelves. We also have amazing coffee that’s roasted here in Dallas, Lattes, TV’s, board games, free wifi, jazz softly playing in the background and great ambiance. We pride ourselves on quality and customer service, not processed, we roast our own chicken and turkey, then slice it for our sandwiches, wraps, salads, etc. we use the freshest ingredients. Social Bakehouse Cafe is also an Events Rental Space and has held several events inside from Baby Showers, Small/Large Meetings to an Evening with a Band. We also cater! Everyday I’m learning something new and going with the flow as well as trying to keep up. Everyday is a beautiful adventure and I’m loving every single minute of it, wouldn’t trade it for nothing in the world. Stop by and say hello!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I will certainly keep it real with you, owning my own cafe/bakery/coffee shop has not been a smooth road, I wish it were. At the end of the day all responsibility falls on you, things break down, staff calls in sick, etc. The mounds of paperwork when you’re first starting, improving processes, thinking of creative ways to attract new customers as well as retaining the current ones. Never folding when you’re tested. I‘m also learning you cannot please every customer ha! There are some who love to complain just to complain, then you have your Yelpers/Google Reviewers who can’t wait to post a negative review (petty review) and then you have your haters who love to hate (lol) I’m learning how to just brush it off, wish them well and keep it moving. We’re big on customer service so if we could correct and fix the issue then we would love to most certainly do that. Most importantly trying to find reliable, loyal, honest, hardworking and consistent employees in Dallas has been a major challenge also.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
What sets Social Bakehouse apart from the rest is that independently owned non-chains no longer exists especially a cafe/bakery/coffee shops like us that’s all 3 in 1. We offer some Gluten-Free Treats as well as adding Gluten-Free Bread/Wraps and we have recently added some Vegan options to the menu and adding more over the upcoming weeks. We cannot keep our baked goods in the case for long, as they fly off the shelves. We also have amazing coffee such as our Texas Maple Pecan that’s roasted here in Dallas, Lattes, TV’s, board games, free wifi, jazz softly playing in the background and great ambiance. We’re a clean, cozy, nice cafe that’s a good gathering spot for UTA Students or students in general and we love & support our Entrepreneurs who also come frequently as well as conduct business meetings or set up a mini office in the cafe. We pride ourselves on quality and customer service, not processed food as we roast our own chicken and turkey, then slice it for our sandwiches, wraps, salads, etc., we make our soups homemade from scratch, we use only the freshest ingredients. People come near and far for the fresh food especially our Cranberry Chicken Salad Sandwich. Social Bakehouse Cafe is also an Events Rental Space and has held several events inside from Baby Showers, Small/Large Meetings to an Evening with a Band. We also cater! Social Bakehouse Cafe is proud of our supportive customer base, the growth over the last 5-6 months since taking over and we look forward to growing even further.

What were you like growing up?
How Nubia was growing up was always a go-getter, motivator, always encouraged others, a music, art & poetry lover and the first one to always go above and beyond to help others. I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart since I was in elementary school. In the 5th-8th grade I started a babysitting and house cleaning service. I also sold homemade crafts that my mother created so we could eat. Growing up wasn’t easy at all. My mother was a single mother who raised 4 kids on her own and we were homeless for a few years, with hardly anything to eat; I remember telling myself I was never going to live like this as an adult. I’ve always had the drive of wanting more. Once I set my mind on something, I set my full grind on it along with pray. I’ve always felt as if I could do anything as long as I put my heart & soul into it. I was fine without knowing how to do something at first (like running a cafe), because I know I will learn it quickly and I always had that confidence within myself.