Rising Stars: Meet Stephanie Fong

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Fong.

Hi Stephanie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Would you believe me if I told you that my joy of baking and owning a business, an American dream, was made possible because of love?

I met my partner through a friend from high school who moved to Los Angeles from Macau. We never met until the day I decided to pursue our love – when I packed up my bags to move to a country where I couldn’t even speak the language. It was the power of love that brought upon a confidence I never had and the encouragement of one beautiful, talented woman that made Go Cakes what it is today.

I’ve never baked but have always had an interest in art. I didn’t know how I can contribute to our lives in Los Angeles so I decided to study at Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. Little did I know that the school was preparing to close down and the money I had saved to attend would now be used to buy the equipment that would force me to learn everything on my own.

They want to impress her and the need to contribute in our new lives together may have been the push that I needed, but through it stemmed a beautiful and passionate relationship with pastries and cakes. To this day, I still cannot believe I actually have something that everybody in America works hard for: doing something you love every single day.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I didn’t speak English prior to moving to America. I still struggle with the language barrier and I’m still learning, but the patience of all my friends and customers are much appreciated. The message I try to convey might not be translated properly, but I hope my passion shines through with the products I create and sell. We put a lot of heart and soul into everything we make… I cannot wait to continually show you the ideas in my head and the love I have for all of my supporters through the beautiful and tasty creations!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I create delicious goodies that are also pleasing to the eye. I put my passion on paper, develop the recipes, and then go through a series of tests to perfect it. I would never put something I don’t love in my shop. I want everything I produce to show my love, my heart, and my soul. I want people to bite into something memorable as well as bring a smile on their faces. Without my customers, I wouldn’t be where I am today. The only way I can properly show my appreciation is to keep creating exciting products that constantly pique their interests!

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I hope to be able to keep up and impress my wonderful supporters. I think big things are headed for our industry. People are heavily overworked, places are understaffed – the pandemic has been absolutely tough on our industry, but through it, I was able to recognize, once again, how important service is to our businesses. Menus and flavors can be recreated, but the ambiance and experience cannot. With the new technologies and trends coming into play, I hope we never forget that PEOPLE are what makes our industry. Food and beverage, restaurant, bakery… call it what it is, in the end it’s “customer service” and that’s what connects us.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.go-cakes.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/go_cakes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/the.go.cakes
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/go-cakes-san-marino-2?osq=go+cakes

Image Credits:
Akiko T. Liu (Personal Photo) https://www.instagram.com/akikoliuphotos/
Ariel Ip (Additional Photos) https://www.instagram.com/lastname.ip/