Today we’d like to introduce you to Uma Iyer.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It was year 2011-12, I used to binge watch MasterChef Australia. That led me to bake and experiment in the kitchen. Baking quickly became an obsession. If I was not baking/ cooking, I was researching on recipes, learning about the world of pastry or just eating. After moving to US, I had access to quality ingredients and since I was taking a break from corporate life, I had lots of time too. And my baking continued. A friend asked me to bake a cake for her son’s first birthday and the cake got rave reviews. By this time, my family and I had had our fill of desserts. And so, we started Cakes & Such – an experimental Cake Tasting subscription model where every week, each of the 8 subscribers would receive a slice of a cake – for a period of 4 weeks. Fast forward to 2015, I had 2 sons & a very demanding job in HR – that didn’t leave time for anything. But bake, I did. Then, almost on a whim, I took a leap of faith – quit my job and started Tartalicious. In 2016, we moved to Plano and restarted Tartalicious here. Now about 2 years on, I am happy for where Tartalicious has come and am excited for the future.
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?
A rocky road, I should say. There have been a lot of struggles and learning along the way. Learning about the laws of the land – I had imagined to start baking at home, selling at farmers market and then deciding how to go further. But given the product (and I didn’t want to compromise), I started renting a commercial kitchen right from the word go. When we moved to Dallas, we didn’t know a single person. So, making friends and building business network has been a challenge. I do not have a culinary background, so I have had to learn by myself – and that meant experimenting with a lot of recipes and perfecting the one that worked best for me. I have burnt quite of lot of sugar (in the attempt to caramelize it) and seized quite some chocolate!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Tartalicious – what should we know?
Tartalicious is a one of a kind specialty bakery that specializes in the French Pastry of Tarts. We are constantly experimenting with flavor combinations. I started Tartalicious, because I felt that in most bakeries Tarts took a secondary (even tertiary) place. And there weren’t too many options to choose from. Tarts are such a beautiful pastry that they deserved their own space. We are also pushing boundaries on customer experience. Hence, the Tart+Beer pairing and the Tart Tasting Club – a dessert subscription box program like none other. And we have more ideas for you to ‘experience’ our tarts.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Never say die: Perseverance has been the most important quality for our success. Constant learning and experimenting: We have our eyes and ears open- so we are constantly learning – about what’s happening in the pastry world and other businesses.
Pricing:
- Prices start from $19 for half of dozen of our regular flavors
Contact Info:
- Address: Tartalicious at Craft Kitchen
2963 W 15th St, #2979
Plano TX 75075 - Website: www.tartalicious.com
- Phone: 4087840838
- Email: uma@tartalicious.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/tartsbytartalicious
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/tartsbytartalicious
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tartalicious-plano
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.
