BakeroE- Coimbatore

Nestled in a cozy corner on Race Course Road, Coimbatore is a place where your visions and wishes are baked on a cake. Meet BakeroE. Praveena, who has an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Toledo, realized that there was a big shortage of quality baked goods in Coimbatore and a growing demand for the same. So she decided to fill the void in style. “We started with wholesale and when that failed to take off as expected we decided to do retail. BakeroE came up during a brainstorming session with a friend.” As simple as that. Not quite. Praveena admits that one of their biggest challenges at the beginning was getting good staff on board, training them and now keeping them efficient.

When it comes to some of the very innovative themes you see on their Facebook page, like the Liverpool Cake, the three chocolate blend truffle Cake or cakes for a mommy to be, they humbly give due credit to their customers. With a touch of humor Praveena adds, “ the most challenging thing I have to do is convince them that Barbie, Ken, a piano, strawberries, superman and a 20 word message cannot be done effectively on a 1 kg cake. That has happened.” Ask her about her favorite cake, and you will be surprised by the answer. “As far as I am concerned fashion is to do with art, but food is more to do with celebration. My idea of a great cake is a freshly baked moist, gooey cake iced with fresh whipped clotted cream and dripping with seasonal mangoes. This cake frankly has a shelf life of 6 hours and cannot be customized, so there u go… “. That does sound delicious. And her favorite BakeroE cake? “It was BakeroE Truffle. Now I have lost my sweet tooth and it is Carrot with cream cheese.” We can understand why it’s hard to choose.

We ask Praveena for advice to future entrepreneurs and she gives her honest opinion “The single most important factor in baking quality is raw material quality, so don’t compromise at all. Don’t depend on your business to feed you for your first year.Remember every startup goes through rocky phases and it’s not just you.”

Quality is of prime importance for BakeroE their future plans are defined around it, “Better quality and more efficient operation for sure, whatever it takes to get there ! “

The Yellow Turmeric was very interested in how BakeroE made use of its small space to create a beautiful dessert cafe. We also managed to catch up with Sreedevi Vishnu, the architect of BakeroE. Praveena’s priority was a warm and friendly place. Sreedevi worked from there. All those of you in the process of setting up your dessert cafes might want to take notes!

Most important aspects of a dessert Cafe? “I would say the most important aspect of a dessert cafe is the mood we create. Bright attractive colors and subtle lighting does magic. A menu written on a blackboard can instantly make the space feel more homely and informal. Tables have to be of the right size, as a table too big will make the space look small considering the size of the food served. The space behind the counter has to be properly organized and very functional,” says Sreedevi.

One of the striking aspects of BakeroE is how they have made use of the space that was available to them. We asked Sreedevi about the same. “The space we had was quite tiny. So we were looking at a compact, cozy cafe. We were thinking Mediterranean from the start in terms of colors.  We wanted the space to be quaint and welcoming, but we also didn’t want it to be a lounge like our next door coffee shop. So the chairs had to be comfortable, but not too big or too small. There was a little space from the entrance gate to the cafe entrance, and we had to make this space inviting. So we got granite footsteps which are extremely fuss free with regards to the varied weather conditions. Every little detail, like the flooring, lighting, colors etc. were brought about by brainstorming with Praveena who had a clear idea of what was wanted. For anyone who has visited BakeroE, the granite footsteps definitely do not go unnoticed.

Whether you have large space or small, Sreedevi tells us what the defining traits for a dessert place are. “A cafe can be created in a small or a large space. What’s more important is that the cafe has it’s own defined character. It’s better to start off with a basic theme to avoid a clutter of too many ideas. Every little detail, like maybe a door knob, is important. A lot of good little details make one good final product. And most importantly, the food has to be yummy!“

Well, we can all agree with the last part!

BakeroE is located on Race Course Road, adjacent to Café Coffee Day, Coimbatore. They are open between 11 am to 10 pm. Call them on 04223236066 or 0422656605. Also visit their facebook page.

Sreedevi Vishnu is pursuing her passion in architecture and interiors with Design Forum India Pvt Ltd, located in Papanaickam Palayam, Coimbatore and in Jayanagar, Bangalore. Do visit their facebook page for more information.

Images Courtesy Of: BakeroE