Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Martinez and Maria Del Carmen Guzman.
Monica and Maria Del Carmen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
(Maria) I was born in Jalisco, Mexico but was raised in California and later moved to Texas. Growing up as the oldest sibling out of five made me mature ahead of my time. My biggest responsibility was the one I enjoyed the most, cooking. It was difficult to please my younger siblings. The one thing they always loved were the amateur cakes I would make for their birthdays. I didn’t put much attention to the pastry area as I was more focused on the food department. This led me to pursue a Culinary Arts Degree from the Art Institute of Dallas which I received with Honors. While committing my time to the restaurant industry I still baked cakes as a hobby for my friends and family. That was when my husband made me realize my hobby should become a side business since there was high demand.
This was perfect timing. I had become friends with Monica through work. We had talked about someday opening a shop of some sort together. I connected the two parts and from there our ambitious journey started!
(Monica) I was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Irving, Texas. While growing up food was always a challenge for me. I did not eat much, and my mom always said I was a picky eater, but my dad believed I just had a far better pallet. I decided to join the culinary arts program at Jack E. Singley Academy High School to learn how to cook. There is where I fell in love with baking. I remember baking cupcakes with my sister in law and trying to sell them to my dad’s co-workers. I participated in many culinary competitions throughout my time in high school and fell in love with food. Little did I know that a high school cooking program would bring me into this Industry that I now love and cannot imagine my life without it.
Throughout my journey I was always pulled in the kitchen and didn’t get the chance to work at a bakery but did learn from a few Pastry Chefs. However, any time desserts were needed I was the one who got assigned in making them and I loved it! When I was working at Café 3000, I noticed that Carmen and I would both get called for dessert tasks and that’s how I realized we both had a passion for baking. We clicked instantly! There came a time where I left the culinary industry and got an office job to learn accounting. I figured it was important to learn if I wanted to have my own business someday. I always knew I wanted to start my own business but never really knew what kind. Working in an office made me realize just how much I love the Culinary Industry and saw this as my opportunity to finally bake. So here we are, following our passion for baking as the Gallery Bakery, LLC.
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?
(Maria) Personally for me, it was tough growing up in a family of seven with a low income. The simple fact of wanting to attend college was far fetched let alone a prestige institute. This broke my parents’ heart and motivated themselves to find a solution. As parents they felt obligated to help their child, especially seeing me so determined and optimistic. As the first college graduate in the family, I dedicated my diploma to them. This opened doors for me, some that I can brag about and the biggest door yet, The Gallery Bakery. (Monica) My parents moved to Texas when I was just a baby, so I never really got the chance to grow up with much of my family. Everyone lives in Chicago or Mexico, so it has always just been the four of us.
While I am not completely alone, sometimes it felt like I was. My parents worked hard and long hours to give me and my brother everything we needed. I learned to become independent and made me mature fast as well. Growing up I was always told I had to attend college, but I didn’t want to leave my parents a big debt. I made it my duty to pay for it or win a scholarship. Fortunately, I was able to win the GDRA scholarship three times in a row which basically gave me a full ride to El Centro College! I am forever grateful for the opportunity of having my tuition paid for. However, I worked extremely hard to get it by participating in many culinary competitions and staying late at school. During my time at El Centro College, I was able to get two degrees in three years on top of having a full-time job! My parents were extremely happy as I was the first college graduate in the family. Till this day some people look down on my degree because it is from a community college. To me college is college. What matters the most is what you do with what you learned, and I am using my knowledge to fulfil my dream of opening a bakery.
For The Gallery Bakery we have come across numerous struggles such as not having enough space or equipment. Our biggest challenge yet is having a commercial kitchen of our own. We have rented commissaries in the past to help with big projects, but we still work under the Cottage Law. We started seriously looking into buying our own commercial kitchen so we wouldn’t have to rent or work from home. When the pandemic hit it halted our plans, but rest assured we are not giving up and we are back to finding a home for The Gallery Bakery.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Gallery Bakery story. Tell us more about the business.
The Gallery Bakery serves Dallas and the surrounding cities. We create handmade artisan cakes, cookies and pastries specially made for our customers. We use only high-quality ingredients to create products that are both lively and flavorful. Our designs are a great way to celebrate special occasions, send a message to a special someone, or treat yourself to a deliciously fun experience.
Our team is equipped with the will and knowledge to create a variety of pastries, including the trending new items. Our attention for detail and dedication set us apart from other bakers. For example, our background as Certified Culinarians gives us another state of mind, making us more bold and tough. Being able to portray an idea from mind to cake or sugar cookie is our strong ability. Not only having a nice-looking cake or cookie is the solution, but also making it taste just as good as it portrays. The extensive list of cake flavors, frostings and fillings help our customers to mix and match their custom cake. Our custom sugar cookies are a trending hit. Some designs can be extremely specific that puts out creativity to a challenge and with our skills and creativity they are achievable to produce. We have mastered our cookie flavor and have considered it our top-secret recipe.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
We tend to see luck as an act of Faith. Whether it is good or bad. The best way to accept bad luck is to learn from it. It is a life lesson. For example, Covid-19 is bad luck, our sales went down quick due to multiple cancellations of events. We changed the approach of our bakery by starting to offer more essential items like fresh baked breads. While the stay at home order was in place, we also offered our DIY sugar cookie kits weekly. It is an interactive activity for people of all ages to do. With social distancing in place, one neighborhood came together and hosted their own virtual cookie contest! We are honored and love that we can make people come together even through tough times. Thinking about our customers’ safety, we also offered free contactless delivery.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gallerybakery.com
- Phone: 4698784914
- Email: maria.baltazar2222@gmail.com
- Instagram: @thegallerybakery
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/thegallerybakeryDFW/?ref=bookmarks
Image Credit:
Our photos are taken by us personally (Monica Martinez, Maria D. Guzman). wedding photo by Leticia Nunez.
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
