Today we’d like to introduce you to Jai Xiong.
Jai, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I first fell in love with being in the kitchen by witnessing my mom’s constant drive and passion to perfect every recipe she creates for the family. I was in awe of the explosion of flavors and intricate details in every dish. I first started cooking at a very young age and have always been fond of experimenting with flavors and having the creative freedom to explore the different outcomes of each ingredient.
For so many years I have had one dream that has always pulled at my heartstrings; to one day open up my own shop and share the most delicious sweets with the rest of the world.
8 years ago I decided to start my baking business on the side, while being a full-time student, working a full-time job. I got the opportunity to work for some of the biggest well-known companies in the world. It was an amazing ride, but it wasn’t always easy. The world isn’t always kind, and through all of that, I slowly lost myself. You could say, I burned out. Hit a wall. Hit rock bottom. All I knew was that, in order to stay sane, I had to let my business go. I closed the door on that dream four years later. I thought maybe it wasn’t meant to be.
Today, I have successfully re-launched my bakery business, going strong for about five months now. I am currently operating out of a shared commercial kitchen in Saint Paul, MN and hope to transition into a cake studio soon.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely wasn’t a smooth road. The misconception about being an entrepreneur is that everything will be easy being your own boss.The hardest part of the journey is understanding that no one sees what happens behind closed doors. That the pains and tears are never celebrated. The struggle never ends.The ugly side of entrepreneur that no one really talks about is the effect it has on your mental health and the burn out you experience. You will most likely fail first, many times over, before you succeed. Those dark days sometime feels endless. The stress, anxiety, financial issues and the loneliness will hit you at all hours of the day. Also, being a woman in business has it downfalls. Many will doubt and underestimate you and your skills. You need to have a strong pillar of support and healthy relationships. The most important thing is to give yourself grace, allow for mistakes to happen so you can grow and continue to step into your new season.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We specialize in creating hand crafted cakes and desserts utilizing the techniques and inspiration from French and Korean cuisines. The simplicity and balance of flavors from both cusines combined together, creates an experience that will have you come back wanting more. Our focus is to deliver asthetically pleasing and delicious tasting cakes and desserts with high quality standards and top notched customer service.
We are known for our custom cakes and dessert tables celebrating all kind of events, such as weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and corporate events.
After being in the food industry for over a decade, seeing everything that happens behind closed doors, the negative reputation that the food industry receive for overworking, and undervaluing their employees. I want to cultivate an environment that breeds positivity, self-love, and mental health awareness. To be surrounded by an environment that nurtures life experiences, mentorship, and great leadership roles. To provide the utmost experience of enjoying extravagant, made from scratch desserts and cakes that leave you with a memory you’ll never forget.
Amour Patisserie is a company that values not just its customers, but its own employees above all else. As Mr. Marriott says, “If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers, and your business will take care of itself.”
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
It’s hard to say. Right now the current trends for the last few years have been a shift to more health focus and dietary restrictions desserts and cakes. Over the next five to ten years, I see that continuing to climb and be more prominent in the industry. Baked goods and cakes that are keto, paleo, gluten, and vegan friendly. Also, visually aesthetic cakes and desserts have been known to be the biggest trend and I don’t see that going away anytime soon. The industry is extremely competitive and someone out there will more than likely come up with some unique ideas that will end up going viral. Maybe one day that’ll be me too!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.amourpatisseriemn.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amourpatisseriemn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amourpatisseriemn
