Meet Arielle Walker | Pastry Chef and Bakery Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Arielle Walker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arielle, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I was a Pastry Chef and did well wherever I was. At work, my consistent problem was that as soon as I “figured out” my job, I would get bored and look for the next opportunity. Several places were looking to hire me, but I thought it’d be mutually beneficial for me to sell to these various foodservice locations, rather than find a new job to clock into. I was wanting to build something for myself. I saw my time at work as an investment into someone else’s dream, and I wanted to put that same time and effort into something of my own.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My parents opened a business when I was 10, so I got to see how small business works from the inside out. Most of my life I’ve just had it in my blood. Even when I was working a job, I was still thinking about the business side of things in my various roles. My bakery is different than neighboring bakeries, because we do not focus on retail, but instead custom and production orders. If you’re looking to come in and buy a dozen cupcakes, you’ll walk away disappointed (sorry). However if you want to plan ahead for a fabulous cake, we’re happy to join you on that journey. Similarly, if you own a restaurant or catering company and do not want to hire a pastry chef, give us a call. We will gladly create and produce your dessert menu. Most of our clients are other businesses that we LOVE to collaborate with!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh man, if my bff was visiting from out of town, we would hit up ALL the best food in DFW! Of course I’d have to take her to places we sell to: Civil Pour off 75/Walnut Hill would start us off with coffee and breakfast, Neiman Marcus for some shopping and little treats at their cafe. Then dinner would be at Sullivan’s BBQ in Lewisville, it’s the best around! And finally, there’s a new place in Murphy called Dessert Ave that currently sells our favorite dessert (Ferrero Rocher Mousse Bomb). I’m sure we couldn’t fit all of this into our bellies in one day, so we’d stretch it out and maximally enjoy our time together.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Oh man, I can fill this entire section up! Previous bosses/chefs I’ve worked for have invested their knowledge into me, I went to Dallas SCORE and had a mentor that selflessly invested her time and advice into me. My ex-husband (still a friend) made more deliveries than I can count, and my current husband is a chef who consistently supports me with his time, experience and advice. And finally, our team at the shop is absolutely the best of the best in each of their roles, I truly don’t know where I’d be without them!

Website: https://ariellepastryworks.com

Instagram: arielle_pastryworks

Facebook: Arielle Pastry Works