Putting her skills to use

Published On: February 9, 2018 09:12 AM NPT


Though Sprinkles is a small store that has just 18 different bakery items lining its display, you will be surprised to see customers crowding the tiny space and often spilling out on the pavement to get their sugary treat. Decorated tastefully in pink and black with fun quotes artfully placed here and there, Sprinkles has certainly become one of the favorite places for people in Sanepa to grab some cookies, cupcakes, chocolates, and ice cream. And all this in just three months makes the owner Rosy Shrestha Thapa very, very happy. 

 “I started this store because of my passion for baking. So, though it is small, I’m happy that I’m now able to bring that passion to the forefront,” says Thapa.

Initially, Thapa baked at home. She made chocolates and cakes for her family and relatives according to the orders they placed. She confesses that their family gatherings were considered incomplete without her deserts. She used to offer free samples to friends whenever she baked. They would take one bite and then suggest she open a bakery. It was this advice she took to heart and, with her husband’s support, finally opened Sprinkles.

Thapa makes all the items that are available at Sprinkles. Her day starts in the kitchen and going through the day’s preparations has become a ritual she absolutely loves. Going by reviews and customer feedback, she works on tweaking the designs and decorations on the chocolates and cupcakes every single day. Apart from all that’s available at Sprinkles, she also takes birthday cake orders and makes chocolates in bulk for events.

“My customers tell me that they like the homemade, fresh taste of the bakery items available at Sprinkles. I can tell that’s the reason they don’t hesitate to place large orders at Sprinkles though there are many bigger bakeries around town and that is an immense morale boost,” she says. But Thapa also recalls an incident during the initial days of the store’s opening that taught her an invaluable business lesson. 

Apparently, a lady who often visited Sprinkles placed a huge order and requested Thapa to ready it as soon as possible. Thapa accepted the request without taking any advance payment and managed to complete the order on time. But, on the day of the delivery, the one who had placed the order couldn’t be contacted, and Thapa was left with a lot more bakery items than she could sell before it got ruined. Now, she doesn’t start working on orders till half of the total payment has been received. Another challenge she faces is finding good quality ingredients. She laments that she hasn’t been able to make cheesecake because there isn’t good cream cheese in the Nepali market. 

But these are minor hiccups and for Thapa, who never took any cooking or baking classes and relied on the internet and cookbooks to hone her skills, it’s the passion for whipping up these treats that take the center stage. She says the knots will somehow slowly untangle themselves.
“I’m in the phase where I’m learning the basics of business while enjoying the process. I plan to take it one step at a time with the aim of expanding Sprinkles in the future,” she concludes. 

 


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