Today we’d like to introduce you to Guma Jackson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started baking when I was 4 or 5 years old with my mother. Baking was a treat—every Sunday, we’d make chocolate chip cookies and watch Big Brother. My older sister has always been a cinnamon roll enthusiast, and she passed that along to my younger sister and me.
I was 17 years old when I was tired of buying cinnamon rolls at the store and decided to make my own. Four years and a perfected recipe later, I was looking for something more exciting than the traditional cinnamon roll. And that’s when I began creating different flavors.
I explained my new inventions to my professor the following Monday after a weekend of experimentation. She loved the idea and believed in my product so much that she enrolled me in the Innovation Challenge. Sheri, the person who put on the challenge, and Angie from the Mindful Fork they helped me get into my first-ever farmers market, and Koja’s Cafe began to grow.
The name “Koja” isn’t my uncle’s name, but it means “uncle” in my language. I chose it to honor him after his passing, as that’s what I always called him growing up.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I haven’t had many struggles, mainly because every time I have run into some issue, I have been really blessed with people around me being able to support me. All the communities that Kojas cafe has been involved with have really been welcoming and supportive of me. Especially in River Falls, where I started my first stand, was all the equipment I had gotten for the town.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Koja’s Cafe?
We specialize in making cinnamon rolls, sweet rolls. Sweet rolls are the type of baked good that cinnamon rolls are. I have 17 different flavors, 6 main flavors, and one flavor of the month. I also love to get feedback or recommendations for new flavors. I believe my frosting and my rolls are the best rolls you will ever find. I love my name the most when it comes to my brand; it is the most important thing. Community is the most important thing we at Koja’s cafe value. We are very thankful for every community welcoming us with open arms, and once a community has accepted us, we don’t plan on leaving, no matter how big or small. We mainly pop up at farmers markets, we are in the Hudson, River Falls, New Richmond, Bloomington (occasionally), and minneipoils farmers market. We also do free delivery up to a certain distance and take personal orders
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Don’t be afraid to start a business; the right time to start is always today. I wish I had been more confident in the beginning and never been afraid to turn any opportunities
Pricing:
- Cinnamon Roll or Sweet roll -$6
- Box of Classic – $25
- Box of flavored sweet rolls – $30
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kojascafe
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560003951105
