Today we’d like to introduce you to Daryl Overlock.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Daryl. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
A & J has been in business for 33 years and has always been a family run business. Went A & J came up for sale, my family agreed this would be a great business for us. We wanted to keep A & J a family business, a community place for the home baker, the cake decorator, the candy maker and for our future bakers.
Small businesses like ours strive on that family feeling, providing a warm welcome when you come in, a sample of something sweet made with our product or that little bit of help when needed.
A & J has also been a special place for us for years as my wife Daniela took her first cake decorating class here and when our daughter Jennifer went to Le Cordon Bleu to be a pastry chef we purchased many things from the store. I have been baking since I was a kid and worked in Italy doing pastries and pizzas so what could be better but to own such a wonderful place.
For our customers when it comes to making their special cake or dessert, we strive to make A & J Cake and Candy Supplies the place “Where Sweet Dreams Become a Reality”.
Has it been a smooth road?
I would have to say the taking over the store had its moments, getting to know all the products and where everything came from but we two employees that stayed with us at the beginning who helped greatly and we have great customers that were very understanding. Every small business has its challenges, some are discontinued products that are impossible to replace or a seasonal item that is hard to find but we all work hard together to have as much product available for our customers every day.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the A & J Cake and Candy Supplies story. Tell us more about the business.
What I believe we specialize in and I am most proud of is our customer service and how we help our customers. We have a good variety of baking items from sprinkles, buttercream, fondant and fondant tools, cake pans, cupcake toppers, Merckens chocolate melts, chocolate molds, cookie cutters, cake boards and boxes, as well as cupcake carriers and more. We also do edible images for cakes and cupcakes while you wait.
We also have some great cake decorating classes for adults and kids, Royal Icing cookie classes and we also do free candy demonstrations and candy apple demonstrations monthly.
When you come in our store, in a way you are coming into our home so you will always be treated as part of the family.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
When it comes to the baking industry, that changes daily and we see that with apps like Pinterest where new ideas are posted daily. Also, the cooking channels are forever evolving so we have to stay up on the trends and sometimes you will see a new product but it’s almost impossible to find.
Products come and go; some trends look good but fade fast while some of the basic methods live on forever. They say the proof is in the pudding and I still make that the same way my mother did.
What is wonderful is with every new generation comes new ideas and that is why I believe we should always encourage our younger bakers.
Contact Info:
- Address: A & J Cake and Candy Supplies
2254 E Route 66
Glendora, CA. 91740 - Website: www.ajcake.com
- Phone: 626-335-7747
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: aj_cakecandy_
- Facebook: A & J Cake and Candy Supplies
- Yelp: A & J Cake and Candy Supplies
Image Credit:
Daryl Overlock
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