Karla Leon, A Thing Called Cake

A Thing Called Cake
217 W. E St., Brawley; 584A W. Main St., El Centro
760-344-3400; 760-336-0207
www.athingcalledcake.com
facebook.com/athingcalledcake

Tell us how you ended up in this line of work.

Since I can remember I have always been an artist at heart, drawing, painting and sculpting. As I got older I also developed a love for cooking and baking. Although I went against my passion after high school and attended school for business and computer engineering, my passion for creating and being hands-on never went away. At home I would spend my time experimenting in the kitchen and painting murals for friends. One day my love for food and art came together and this is where it brought me.

Describe what your business does.

We specialize in custom wedding cakes, quinceanera cakes, sweet 16 cakes and cakes for all other special occasions. During holidays such as Valentines, Christmas and Mother’s Day we offer cupcake bouquets and gifts baskets filled with fresh goodies. We also provide businesses and events around the community with dessert spreads and custom catering. We now have two locations serving the Valley with daily cupcakes, cookies, brownies, cake slices and pastries, to name a few. Monday through Saturday when you need a sweet fix you can come right in and chose from one of our gourmet cupcakes or other goodies.

What are memories from your career that stick out with you the most?

Making that jump from one career to the next, it was a little scary. I remember the sleepless nights and the butterflies in my stomach as things came together. I actually don’t think it has really hit me yet. Another memory was the day we were given the OK to operate, I was so nervous; I didn’t even want to turn on the “Open” sign (ha ha).

What do you most like and least like about your work?

I love the interaction with our customers. We have gotten to know so many people that they feel like old friends. Even after so many events and cakes it still makes us smile when we get emails, phone calls and messages online of how we made someone’s day special. My business is family operated so that has been a good experience for me; it has brought some of us closer. On crazy busy days like Fridays when I stand back and watch everyone working away together, listening to music, singing along, it’s a great feeling. The part of this business that I least enjoy is the long hours and the heavy financial responsibilities and business-related decisions.

What makes your business unique?

We are the Valley’s only professional bakery specializing in custom cakes. We have a commercial facility that is equipped to properly handle multiple large orders. All of our cakes and treats are created with top quality ingredients.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to open a business?

Make sure you love what you do, once you take your passion to a business level everything changes. You have to deal with a whole new set of things on the business side, decision making, growth, the pace of work and expectations also go up. For my business it took a lot of time, planning, money of course and going through red tape to get to where we are now. There are still lessons that I learn every day.

How do you give back to the local community?

We try to be very active in the community. We have donated to many reputable charities and events such as the American Cancer Society, the annual fundraiser for El Centro Regional Medical Center, Sacred Heart in Brawley and the annual Law Enforcement Picnic, to name a few. During the holidays we were involved with the Toys for Tots and the Valley Food Bank. This year we also donated dog friendly cakes to the annual Bully show and the Puppy Walk for the Humane Society. Last but not least we hold a weekly drawing for Facebook fans and run random contest for goodies!

More about Karla Leon:

Years in business: 1

Hometown: El Centro

Family: Three boys (ages 6, 5 and 3), my other half and my dog.

Hobbies: Running my business and enjoying my family when I am not at work.