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

Hi Lourdes, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I believe any culinary artists success stems from passion for the field and the ability to take bold risks. Our bakery started out from love of baking of more than 10 years. My family is of a Middle Eastern and Filipino background. Residing in New York City, I took inspiration from the diverse culture and vast offerings of amazing baked goods. I began creating oversized cookies with innovative flavors that highlight New York City’s diversity. All cookies are made with love, homemade from scratch with fresh ingredients from the flaky dough to the fillings. I took the risk of making cookies that resonate with my own culture, such as the Filipino Ube White Chocolate Chip cookie, one of our best sellers. We wanted to share these flavors and uniqueness here in Texas. With risk comes reward and sharing our love of food with our happy customers is well worth the labor.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The pandemic was tough on my family mentally and physically. We started the home baking venture, Cake House Artisan Bakery, this summer of 2021 to get out of the house. We live in Frisco, Texas so we thought that it would be good to start a popup within our own community. The Frisco Fresh Market is full of unique vendors and we wanted to be part of that scene. The Fresh Market seemed like the best location to start sharing our passion. The driving force of my brand is customer satisfaction. We create oversized cookies highlighting a new flavor as often as we can, from flaky pie crust base to marshmallow overloaded S’mores and espresso chip studded Cappuccino. We currently have more than 15 flavors. We encourage customers to state their opinions, so I can learn what they enjoyed about the cookies, novel flavor idea suggestions and their constructive feedback. Our brand is nothing without customer satisfaction and support. It is the customer’s happiness that ultimately governs success. We currently make cookies, but we are also looking forward to offering other treats such as cakes and other desserts. Hopefully in the future, we would be able to open a brick-and-mortar café/bakery.

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?
I would definitely bring them to the Frisco Fresh Market because it is located at the heart of Frisco and the market has so much to offer. There is no better way to introduce someone from out of town than to bring them to a place where vendors and locals in the community hang out. The vendors sell freshly harvested fruits and vegetables from the local farms. There is also a variety of carefully prepared foods such as snacks, breakfast, lunch, and desserts. The market also offers a lineup of events. These make this bustling market a special destination for families and friends to gather, shop, eat, listen, learn, and play. Plus, it is a pet -friendly venue.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Balancing my physical therapy career, being a mom of three, and starting the bakery is a challenge. I would like to give a shoutout to my family. They have been the backbone during this whole process. I don’t think I could even dream of starting something without their support. My eldest daughter who is the designated CEO of Cake House Artisan, pours her heart and soul into helping me make this work. My other daughter and son help as much as they can as well, and I appreciate it. My husband gives the biggest encouragement and cheers me on, especially when it gets tough. My friends, new friends I met at the market, and my customers are so kind, and I am very grateful. When I’m feeling so tired and thinking of giving up their support gives me the courage to continue.

Website: https://cakehouseartisan.wixsite.com/my-site

Instagram: @cakehouseartisan

Facebook: facebook.com/cakehouseartisanbakery

Image Credits
Cake House Artisan Bakery

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