Tour of my Cookie Space

 A Tour of the Commercial Kitchen Space that I use for my Cookie Business

Would you like to poke around the kitchen?  Today I'll show you some  general shots of the space.  We'll poke a little deeper in future posts.

These are the two prep tables.  I use these for making my dough and icing.  I spend the most time in that red chair decorating cookies.

On this day, the table was covered in orders ready to go out - some for pick up, one for shipping.

This is what it looks like as I prepare to make icing.  What a mess.  (Nothing carefully arranged for the photo.  Keeping it real.)

I try to keep extra cookies available for people to taste.   We sometimes get people walking into the bakery - looking for donuts usually. Since everything we do is custom, we don't have items ready for sale.  I'll offer them a cookie.  They just wanted a donut for breakfast.  They got a cookie. 

This small cookie sheet hangs above the prep table.  My business card, Meghan's business card, and Gayla's are up there along with a newspaper clipping featuring little old me.

The long table in the middle of the room is used for my cookie parties.  I roll and cut my dough there.  It's also used for drying cookies overnight.

The metal bowl, on the left?  That's usually in the center of the table, when it's not over-crowded with other things.  It holds the sample designs for an upcoming party.

Hanging above one of the prep tables is a very special cookie cutter.  It's the sign for "I love you".  It was a gift from my younger son for Mother's Day 2014 - just after I started full time at the bakery.

On his way home from college, he and his dad dropped in a shop that carries cutters to find a gift for me.  My B chose this cutter.  *heart melts*

As if that wasn't enough to make this mom teary.  He wrote a little message along the side.  Is this not the perfect gift for a cookieing mom? Best Mother's Day gift ever.

Through these doors is the kitchen.

That's where Gayla and Meghan do most of their work. I use the refrigerator, freezer, sinks and oven over there.

The oven.  *Swoon*

I can bake a lot of cookies at one time!

The curtain.  What's behind the curtain?  Yes, the restroom.  What else?  Not sure that I'll be showing you!  That might be a little too "real".  We'll see.

Please answer my poll on the left sidebar. I'm curious!

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Commercial Kitchen that I use for my Business

 My Commercial Kitchen Space

I decorated my first "real" sugar cookie Christmas 2011. I was so proud of these and had so much fun!

 I was instantly hooked and had to make more.  My second set of cookies......

 And my third set.....

I couldn't stop!  I read every tutorial online that I could find.  I ran experiments to try to improve my decorating skills.  (Obviously I needed it! Sugarbelle can only do so much.)  I made cookies for every holiday and occasion.  I asked my neighbor if I could make cookies for her daughter's bridal shower.  I brought cookies to the accountant's office that prepared our taxes quickly.  I brought cookies to the the optometrist's office that took such great care of my younger son for so long.  I looked for any excuse to decorate cookies and share them!

Close to a year after my first cookies, I decided to start Sugar Dot Cookies.

In Maryland, we need to work out of a commercial kitchen to have a legal food business. That can be a huge problem!  Many commercial kitchens will rent space - at $20 to $30 per hour.  I wouldn't be making that much so how could I pay it?  I couldn't.

I started calling around - every place I could think of.  I hit gold when I found Gayla.  She was getting ready to open up a bakery, Maggie's Bake Shop, just five minutes from my house.  She was going to let me use the kitchen when the bakery was closed!  I would pay her in cookies, not money!  She would sell those cookies in the bakery.  I could start my business.  I couldn't have asked for a better set up!

Sugar Dot Cookies began in January of 2013.  It was just part time then.

In June of 2014, Gayla decided to close the retail store.  She planned to keep the space to continue with her custom orders (delicious cakes, donuts, kinklings, pies, streudals, everything!)  and to prep food for her concessions business.  She asked if I would like to share the space with her.  Heck yeah!  I started paying monthly rent and moved right in.  I was going full-time.

Just after my sign went up.....

I was to use the store front part of the bakery to decorate my cookies (on the right side in the photo above).  The kitchen area is on the left side in the photo.  You can see photos of what the inside looked like in the beginning here.

Gayla got another renter at the same time.  Meghan, from Sweet & Savory, moved in too.  Meghan makes amazing buttercream wedding cakes!

The three of us were to share the space - each with our own separate business.   We wouldn't have walk-in hours.  It would be used for making our custom baked goods and for pick ups by appointment.

One year later and the three of us are going strong!  I am so fortunate with the set up that I have!  I love having Gayla and Meghan there to keep me company.  We work really well together, helping one another when we can.  Trying to keep out of each other's way. Lending each other supplies.  Covering pick ups when we have a conflict.

I. Am. Blessed.

Here's my space today......

I'll be speaking at Cookie Con about creative ways to find a commercial kitchen.  I've got lots of ideas after speaking to other cookiers about their kitchen situations.  Will I see you there?

Question for you:
Do you use a commercial kitchen for your business?  Are you looking for a commercial kitchen?  Let me know in the comments.

I'm now offering Online Live Video Classes!  I have one on the very subject of commercial kitchens.  Check it out and join me!

Read more.......
Posts on "Cookiepreneur Interviews"
Posts on "Cookies as Business".
Posts on " Poking Around the Kitchen".
Posts on "Commercial Kitchen"

My New Cookie Space

There have been some major changes at Sugar Dot Cookies!

I've been using the kitchen of a local bakery to make my cookies.  The retail store of the bakery has now closed.  The owner has kept the location to do custom orders only.  With the store gone, she's got plenty of room for me to move in!  I've taken over half of the space to work on my cookies and to have cookie decorating parties!!!!

I've scheduled my first party for Friday, June 25th, 2014.  We'll be decorating summer-themed cookies.  The bakery is in Middletown, MD (just outside of Frederick).  If you'd like to join me, you may sign up here.

These are the cookies we'll be working on for the party.

How about a peek at the space as it has evolved so far?

Pretty empty!

The space is divided into two sections.  You can see the kitchen through that door.

From the back of the space, looking to the front.

Boy can I fill up shelves quickly!  Don't you love that red chair?!  I do!

This is the opposite wall with orders ready to go out.  Cookie cutters on the back wall.  The center of the room is empty - for now.  Table and chairs to come soon!

That's me putting up my sign.

Ta da!  I love it!

More photos to come.....new curtain for the back wall, lots of stuff to hang on the walls, the table and chairs.  :)

Commercial Kitchen Rental for Small Food Businesses

Looking for a commercial kitchen to rent for your food business in the Frederick, Maryland area?

I've got just the space!

In order to have a legal food business in Maryland, you have to work out of a commercial kitchen.  Renting your own kitchen is out of the question for most of us starting out so we need to find an incubator kitchen or a shared-use kitchen.

I was so fortunate to find Maggie's Bake Shop in Middletown, MD.

She's got everything you need: a gorgeous convection oven, gas oven/range, huge prep table, monster mixer, refrigerator, freezer.  It's all there.

If you're in need of a kitchen, just contact Gayla, the owner of Maggie's.

Hope to see you there!