Woman- and Minority-Owned Bakery Grows their Business

Established in 2015, Kayla’s Cake is a retail and wholesale bakery based in Fullerton, California, that focuses on carefully crafting premium French macarons. Inspired by seasonal and local ingredients, Kayla’s Cake combines classic techniques with both traditional and new ingredients to create a fresh take on a familiar dessert. Kayla’s Cake is woman- and minority-owned and currently employs 13 people, many of whom are local mothers.

Since opening in 2015, Kayla’s Cake has experienced both retail and wholesale business – but, in recent years, the company has seen an opportunity for further expansion into wholesale. Company leadership determined that in order to be successful with wholesale business on a large scale, the company would need to complete a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Audit or Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Audit. For many potential wholesale clients, companies are required to have one of these audits completed before being considered for possible vendor partnerships.

In November 2021, CMTC, part of the MEP National Network™, began working with Kayla’s Cake to help them prepare for their March 2022 GMP audit. CMTC provided 24 hours of safety consultation that helped the company to familiarize themselves with and get ready for the audit process. While the GMP audit can be time-intensive, it also provides an opportunity to identify potential operational flaws and legal violations. In addition, the audit helps to communicate a set of standards and instruction on how to meet those standards. With the help of CMTC’s initial consulting, the audit process proved to be an educational and empowering experience for Kayla’s Cake employees, giving them more knowledge and confidence to successfully do their jobs. Kayla’s Cake leadership now also has the ability to approach larger potential wholesale clients who require a GMP audit in order to do business, giving them the “foot in the door” that they needed.

Following the consulting provided by CMTC and the GMP audit, Kayla’s Cake anticipates an estimated $120,000 in new sales. Additionally, the company has been able to hire three new bakers to meet the needs of new wholesale clients, including multiple five-star resorts. As both Kayla’s Cake and their wholesale client base grow, company leadership believes they will eventually need to hire additional staff members to meet product demands. The company credits CMTC with motivating them to pursue the GMP audit to help improve and grow their business.