Rising Stars: Meet Alex Martin of Symmes Township (Cincinnati)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Martin.

Hi Alex, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I went to Bowling Green State University and graduated with a degree in finance. It was 2009 and the economy wasn’t doing too great so I was struggling to find a job out of college. My sister recently opened a bakery in 2008 and needed help so I started working for her until I found something in my field. She taught me basic baking and cake decorating skills and let work on custom cakes. I had found out I was good at attention to detail, making shaped cakes, and working with fondant. Our bakery quickly built up a reputation of being one of the best places in Cincinnati for wedding and custom cakes. We discovered that the best business plan was to focus on weddings. We connected with many wedding vendors and venues to establish strong roots within the wedding community. Years later my sister had children and decided she wanted to be a stay at home mom and running the business was too much for her to handle. So my wife who had been running the office side of the business and I decided to take over in 2017. Over the years we it is brought us joy getting to make bridal shower, wedding, anniversary, baby shower, and birthday cakes for the same couples! There have been many late nights and long weeks to get where we are today. We set ourselves a part by using quality ingredients and making cakes that taste as good as they look. Building a great team around us has contributed to our success.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been many ups and downs along the way. With our business being so custom and seasonal it has been impossible to have strict guidelines to follow. It has been difficult to gauge how many orders we can handle in a week as well as deliveries. One cake or delivery can through off the whole week. Also since cake designs our customized there has been a big learning curve on figuring out what to charge. Often times we are having to learn and apply new techniques that are challenging.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We are bakery that specializes in cakes with a focus on weddings. We are known for our simple, classic, delicious flavors that pair with clean, sophisticated designs. Also known for our custom cakes with great attention to detail. We are most proud of the reputation we have built over the years. We primarily generate business based on word of mouth and referrals. Knowing our product is bringing joy to some of life’s biggest moments is gratifying. What sets us apart is our quality ingredients and high standards. Our cakes are clean, crisp, and we can make just about anything.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Your business is only as good as the people you build around it. It is extremely difficult to find the right person that fits in with the team and has all of the qualities needed. Having people you can trust and depend on is the only thing to keep you grounded when things get overwhelming.

Pricing:

• Wedding cakes start at $220-$1500
• Party cakes start at $60-330

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aspoonfullasugar.com
• Instagram: @aspoonfullasugar
• Facebook: A Spoon Fulla Sugar