Today we’d like to introduce you to Clyde Greenhouse.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It all started with one cookie, baked for my two sisters who were living here in Dallas at the time. My sisters took the cookies to friends and co-workers and soon calls were coming in from their friends and co-workers for cookies. I was in corporate at the time, working as a senior vp for a R.E.I.T. and did most of the baking in the evenings, weekends and throughout the holiday season. Living in the Kessler Park Neighborhood, my sister’s came up with the name.
Shortly thereafter, I reached out to a someone I had read about in a local newspaper for advice. She was also African-American, had a career, but was also running a small artisan chocolate company and had a kitchen which she agreed to share. Soon corporate accounts came in from large banks, a national window producer, local shops, insurance companies, law firms, design firms and a few for local hospitals. Quickly, sharing a space was no longer an option. So, I purchased a 1920’s bungalow just a little over a mile away from my home for production and completed a partial conversion at that time.
To fill the orders, I called on family, friends, and co-workers for assistance. Soon, my calls to them were not answered. This fun business was now a serious business that required inspection and approval from both the Texas Department of Health and the FDA.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been a smooth road…once my family, friends, and co-workers realized that this baking wasn’t just for fun and it had evolved into serious work, it wasn’t as easy getting them to assist in the production, packaging, and shipping of all those corporate gifts. Also, there were large orders that required me to contribute large sums of capital to acquire professional equipment, stockpile ingredients, purchase cookie tins for custom printing and hiring talent. Even though I owned the building and had excellent credit, I couldn’t find a single bank or a financial institution willing to loan money to a startup cookie business.
Five years ago, I gave up the corporate job to focus on the bakery and started offering additional baked goods. For the last year, I have been challenged by the many obstacles related to completing the conversion my 1920’s bungalow into a full commercial bakery with espresso bar. (still coming soon…)
Please tell us about Kessler Baking Studio.
Today, the Kessler Baking Studio is a bakery and a happy & creative sweets boutique serving baked goods that are handmade from scratch daily and we meticulously select all ingredients. We never add preservatives, artificial flavors, or colors. We’re known for the attention we give to cookies, with 30 cookies flavors, as well as our brownies, blondies, specialty treats, packaged nuts, and confections. Additionally, we have a monthly off-menu cookie subscription.
All are welcomed here is our credo. In addition to our delicious treats, we believe that our amazing customer service sets us apart from other businesses. No one will ever enter our door without being greeted, “Welcome to the Kessler Baking Studio.” We also invest in each new customer, educating them on the meticulous details about our treats.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from my childhood is the largest family gathering ever at my Uncle Simon’s farm in Central Louisiana. I’m from a large family with many aunts, uncles, and so many cousins. This memory is clear; everyone is there. In my head, there must have been hundreds; are at least it seems so in my memory. My Uncle Simon, alone with my dad and all the other adult men in the family were roasting a pig outdoors (known as a Cochon de lait). My mom and all her sisters were busy with all the side dishes and lots of baking which included cakes, pies, and cobblers.
All of us kids were free to roam around the massive farm. It was Summer…we gathered blackberries from the fence lines, we were chased by my uncle’s bull and skipped stones over the pond. Oh, we even sat on his tracker for kicks. Later, the entire family enjoyed the meal outdoors from rows of picnic tables, on the lawn and some on the porch. At the end of the day, all the kids lined up to take turns hand cranking the ice cream machines. We were all so excited to have a chance at bragging that we had made ice cream. Those were the best times.
Pricing:
- Texas-Sized Cookies $2.75
- Brownies & Blondies $4.00 – $8.00
- Bagged Nuts $10.00 – $20.00
- Cakes $25.00 – $40.00
- Texas-Sized Rice Krispie Treats $4.00 – $5.00
Contact Info:
- Address: 1129 North Beckley Avenue
Dallas, TX 75203 - Website: www.KesslerBakingStudio.com
- Phone: 2149487412
- Email: clyde@kesslerbakingstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kesslerbakingstudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kesslerbakingstudio/
- Other: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g55711-d6887358-Reviews-Kessler_Baking_Studio-Dallas_Texas.html
Image Credit:
Photograph of Bow Tie Baker with sifter; Jonathan Stafford (IG: @thenoiz_); Top 4 photographs with beautiful brown hands; Kimberly Stephens (IG: @foodfaithfreedom); Bottom 4 photographs; Tony Franklin (IG: @frankly.stated.mm)
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
