Today we’d like to introduce you to Joel Basco and Daniela Borquez.
Joel and Daniela, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
We joined forces to form a partnership called J&D Cakes in December 31, 2015.
Joel found his passion for making cakes when he took baking classes at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. In the process of taking these classes, he wanted his cakes to also look good so he signed up for cake decorating classes at the Wilton School of Cake Decorating & Confectionery Art and The New School Culinary Arts. Among his many accomplishments is entering the NY Cake Convention Wedding Cake Competition in Jan 2010 where he placed 3rd.
Daniela’s love for pastries began at her grandmother’s bakery shop in Santiago, Chile. Her weekly visits included early lessons in pastries, cakes and the passion for baking. She continues her grandmother’s tradition working in Boca Raton. Daniela studied in the Culinary Arts Institute in Santiago, Chile. In San Antonio, Texas she was mentored by Chef Mark Bliss at Bliss restaurant leaving her to understand the importance of high quality products in the making of good food.
In 2016, we competed on Food Network’s Cake Wars and won on Season 3 (Paddington Bear episode). We were asked back to compete on Cake Wars Champs Season 5 (Shrek episode) where we moved on to the Finals. We were also featured on the Cooking Channel’s Cake Hunters Season 2 (Twice as Nice episode).
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We were able to open our storefront using the winnings from Cake Wars and personal capital. Due to limited resources, we had to do most of the remodeling such as painting, putting down the floors and other cosmetic enhancements. We even made our own light fixtures out of whisks!
The most challenging part of the business is having to wear all hats. We do the baking, cake decorating, managing, accounting, marketing, administration, deliveries, cleaning and dishwashing!
Another challenge is that a business partnership means there are two different people with different ideas, needs and wants for the business. It’s like a marriage! We go through some disagreements but we always find a way to make things work.
Please tell us about J&D Cakes.
J&D Cakes is a custom wedding and specialty cake shop serving the South Florida area including Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Miami. We also do cupcakes, cake pops, pastries, brownies, cheesecake, pies and other baked goods.
Together, we create memorable masterpieces that not only looks good but also tastes good has become our most notable characteristic. We bake from scratch (NO CAKE MIX ALLOWED!!) and only use the best and freshest ingredients. Our creations reflect fine complexities, where creativity and drama are achieved with accuracy and restraint.
Of course we are most proud of competing and winning on Food Network’s Cake Wars. This has given us national recognition and “bragging rights”.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If we had to start all over again we would not change a thing. We started small and are now getting more well known in the area as the premier shop for specialty cakes. We believe in moving slowly but surely. We are putting down the necessary building blocks to create a steady foundation for our business.
We love that we designed and built our storefront on our own. It gives it a personal touch. We call it the cutest bakeshop in Boca.
We are also always on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Yelp) and continue to build our online presence. We also believe in giving the best customer service. Our clients can always contact us via our store phone, cellphone, messenger, email, etc. That’s what sets us apart from our competition.
Contact Info:
- Address: 281 N Federal Highway, #4
Boca Raton, FL 33432 - Website: www.jdcakesonline.com
- Phone: 561-569-1860
- Email: order@jdcakesonline.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdcakesonline
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jdcakesonline
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/j-and-d-cakes-boca-raton
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