Marie Claire: Regina, how was the idea of creating a candy store born?
Regina Burd: The decision was rather spontaneous. This is our family history. We wanted to order cupcakes for a children's party, but could not find in Moscow those that would suit us - worthy quality and with an unusual author's design - and thought, why not do it ourselves? Almost half a turn we started production and got the first customers. Probably, everything would not have been so fast if not for my husband (n. R. MS. Regina's husband is the lead singer of the group "Hands Up!" Sergey Zhukov). I still need to think, weigh the pros and cons, plan. Serezha is easily carried away and immediately begins to act, at the first stage it was he who became the main engine of this project.
Was there a fear that it would not work?
Perhaps the most difficult thing was to gather “our” people, who will work for quality and feel personal responsibility for the overall result. With this, difficulties arise not only at the beginning, but also at each stage. The team is the most important thing. And we were very lucky in this sense, so we were able to survive in difficult economic conditions. Now we have more than 80 employees: from people who are engaged in the most important thing - the development of exclusive recipes - and ending with the administrative and technical staff, without whom we are like without hands.
"Within 40 seconds after Serezha's post on Instagram that we opened a pastry shop, we received the first order."
You started your business at the height of the crisis - in 2014. At the same time, just two years later, the volume of production of Cupсake Story amounted to 80,000 cupcakes per month, and the confectionery began to bring a stable profit. Can you share your know-how of a successful startup?
In a crisis, the brave win. When others are afraid, the brave act. Few believed in us, they said: “Look how many pastry shops are now, well, where are you? The crisis is in the yard, why do you need it? " They said that this is another whim of artists, which will lead nowhere, like dozens of other stellar businesses. But we didn't pay attention and just worked. Cupcake Story is another child of ours, in which we put our soul and everything that we have. He carries something kind, family, and clients feel that all this is true. Within 40 seconds after Serezha's post on Instagram that we had opened a pastry shop, we received the first order. And at first we didn't even have time to process all the applications. Seryozha's resource helped us launch the project, but we could not only hope for that. The backbone of business is strategic thinking:If you don't see your company in the future, don't plan, don't set short-term goals and don't achieve them, you can't build a money-making machine. And business should appear to her. Otherwise, it's just fun.
"The Candy table format is ideal for birthdays, and we thought we had to offer something similar for the most family-friendly of all holidays, the New Year."
Why cupcakes?
Three years ago it was an original and trendy product. Now it is made by hundreds, thousands of pastry shops, but then they were just becoming fashionable. In addition, cupcakes are ideal for a children's party - firstly, delicious and beautiful, and secondly, convenient, they do not need to be cut. Therefore, we decided to focus on them. We were one of the first, but rather quickly realized that the competition was growing and we needed to develop. Surprise with something new. Today the Cupcake Story menu includes more than fifty different desserts. For our pastry chefs, practically nothing is impossible. We also work with individual orders, so the client can simply voice his wishes. Our new service - "Sweet New Year's Table" - is your favorite sweets and original festive decoration. We undertake all this. Our clients very often choose the Candy table format for birthdays, and we thought we had to offer something similar for the most family-friendly of all celebrations, when several generations gather around the table. And recently we launched the Zhukovskie Delicious line - delicious candies and honey-gingerbread, which are sold not only in our pastry shops, but also in ordinary supermarkets.
What ingredients do you like working with the most?
Everyone in our family loves to tinker with the dough, especially the kids. When we cook together at home, surely someone will take away the raw dough or come and try it, dip a finger. It is useful for children, especially small ones, to work with the test. This is a kind of analogue of plasticine - you can roll balls, make molds. We also love cinnamon. The aroma of fresh baked goods with cinnamon is second to none.
“Today, manufacturers go to great lengths to make products cheaper. Of course, we also want volumes and money, but quality is most important to us."
How did the sanctions affect the business, did you have to radically change something in the menu?
The sanctions have affected. About a year and a half ago, they touched almond flour. We then planned to deal with macaroons, and we had to abandon this idea. I wanted to make it tasty and cool, but because of the sanctions it is inconvenient and unprofitable. Probably, it was possible to find an analogue, but we are maximalists, and we didn't go for it. We work with different manufacturers - both Russian and Western, for example, we have French fruit purees. We mainly work with large companies, because they have a guaranteed certified product, and you don't have to worry about the quality. Today is a time when manufacturers go to great lengths to reduce the cost of products. They want to go global and earn big money, but they have to sacrifice something. Of course, we also want both volumes and money, but quality is most important to us. We are afraid of losing him.
The hottest trend right now is vegan or low-calorie desserts. Are you betting on them in the future?
Cupcake Story has a different concept - a pastry shop with which each family has its own story. That is why the word Story in the title was so important for us, it is comprehensive, ambitious and touches everyone. We represented families gathering in the evening for tea, opening our desserts and sharing their stories with each other. Low-calorie and vegan desserts are a different story. But it is also a trend, and we cannot stay away from fashion. We do not plan to focus on this in the future, but we have a line of eco-products, as well as low-calorie desserts. An absolute hit is the assorted fruit profiteroles, there is nothing greasy in them, very light, especially for those who are used to counting calories.
"A mother with many children with her own business has enough incentive, movement and activity to stay in shape."
Can you describe how your day is going?
Usually my day starts at 6.30 am and ends after midnight. In the morning I take the kids to school and go to the office, where I spend the whole day solving issues or meetings. With the team, we are constantly working on the menu: for my part, I set certain stylistic tendencies, suggest how the product should look, what it should be in terms of weight, what features should it have. Our confectioners are responsible for the realization of all this and the original taste of desserts. By the time I arrive home, the children have already finished school, they managed to work out in their sections and sit down to their lessons. We spend the rest of the evening together. At 21.30 Nika, Angel and Myron go to bed, and I still have a few hours to do some of my own business, plans, read, devote time to my husband, if he is not on tour that day.
Tell me, how do you manage to maintain such a fantastic shape?
A mother of many children with her own business has enough incentive, movement and activity to stay in shape. I try to go to the gym regularly. This summer, when we were in Spain, I discovered tennis for myself, and now I can't imagine my life without it. The main beauty rule is a deep 8-hour sleep. But, unfortunately, it is not always possible to follow it.
“In the first three years we were able to prove, first of all, to ourselves that we are confidently on our feet.”
Creative people are quite freedom-loving, while the business requires the utmost concentration and organization from its owner. In your opinion, how to build a creative business correctly?
There is probably no universal way. Creative is very difficult to organize, and you don't need to do this, otherwise it will no longer be creative. And this is the specificity and contradiction of all creative businesses - they constantly maneuver between creative chaos and a strict structure. In my opinion, the best way out in this situation is when different people are responsible for these different areas within the framework of one project. There are those who are in charge of creativity and those who are in charge of business processes. If the work of these people is based on compromises and no one pulls the blanket over themselves, then everything will work out.
And what is the strategy for the next 10 years?
We have big plans - we want to expand into the regions and become an all-Russian network. So far, our corners are represented only in Moscow, and people from other cities do not have the opportunity to try our product, because a resident of, for example, Tyumen will not order the delivery of cakes from Moscow. During the first three years we were able to prove, first of all, to ourselves that we are confidently on our feet. Now we are directing all our efforts to ensure that even more people in various cities can taste our desserts. I never tire of repeating to myself - never forget that there is always something to learn. Learn from everything that happens to you and become wiser.
It's all about her:
Regina Burd, owner of the family confectionery Cupcake Story, former soloist of the Slivki group
Age: 32
Family: husband Sergey Zhukov, three children of Nick, Angel, Miron
Education: Russian State University of Physical Culture, Sports, Youth and Tourism; Moscow International Higher Business School "MIRBIS"
Hobby: tennis - my charge of energy, vivacity and complete reboot in just an hour of playing
Clothing: classic & sport & casual
Cosmetics: Favorite Forlle'd Brand
Favorite city: Moscow
Photo: archives of press services
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