Today we’d like to introduce you to Kym Joles.
Hi Kym, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
It was around the time that my father died tragically, that creating became a way of grieving, a way to create and find beauty in the world again. I love the therapeutic effects of making art on an edible canvas. I have a deep affinity for color and flavor ….. The Fox and Pantry were born with this idea in mind. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to marry my journey with my passion. While my world of food was being reborn, I was fortunate to have The Food Network reach out to be featured as an artist.
While understanding that the platform TV is a uniform approach, I embraced the challenge to develop and develop my style. The growth that blooms after such experience reaches far and wide. Shortly after the show, I opened a studio to teach others my craft. I have a real passion for seeing others drop the boundaries of picture-perfect and create art like they were a child. Classes in food art are run on a technical basis and not a “follow and copy” style.
So with the world in such a hard space, I decided to swim against the stream and instead of online efficiency, I decided to go back in time and buy a brick-and-mortar that was undeveloped so I could start a project from the ground up. A space that is customer-driven, service driven, and most of all a space that gives more than it receives and makes a genuine impact on a soul.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Though I have loved the experience, it has come with many challenges along the way. Firstly, building a business during Covid-19 was a tough time to start and create. Along with this, my family and I were new to the area. Building connections was very important and challenging at the beginning. As someone who has always thrived in a creative environment, it was increasingly hard to communicate the inspiration behind what the business was truly trying to accomplish.
The whole point of opening The Fox and Pantry were to create, gather and inspire – making sure all of our decisions were based around this goal was key in our development. As we have progressed and become known in the area, we are so happy to see such success and growth and feel the support of the community.
Along with this though, comes the challenge of keeping up with ever-increasing prices due to inflation of food and ingredients. I have learned so much along the way and work hard to be ahead of the game and connect to those who have specialized experience that I can draw from.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Fox and Pantry LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Fox and Pantry is a business whose main goal is to be a space to encourage creativity and push ones’ own individual boundaries – whether that’s learning baking/decorating skills, making flower arrangements and potting herbs, or perfecting your make-up routine. We are a place for the community to come together to celebrate, learn or just grab a cup of coffee with friends and family.
Unlike many chains of coffee shops, we have tried to bring back that sense of community and gathering – not the traditional grab-and-go. Quality of our products and events is extremely important to us – the story behind each offering is something we take time and care on – whether that be locally owned or businesses.
Giving the power back to the consumer is something we are proud of – we love to listen to suggestions – whether it be creating new recipes in the bar or adding more classes to the schedule.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Over the next 5-10 years, we hope to continue to grow and add to our business but keep our personal touches everywhere we go. I see trends steering toward the customization of products and services. Since Covid, personalized customer service and customization businesses have grown by 30.8%.
We hope to continue with this in creating a personalized experience with our coffee, events, and classes and listening to our guests. With so much mass production and chains out there, keeping our business customer focused is our primary goal.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thefoxandpantry.com/
- Instagram: @thefoxandpantry
- Facebook: @thefoxandpantry
Image Credits
Kristen Thompson Photography
