Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Gomez
Hi Claire, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in Chicago and came out to LA after graduating from Columbia College, studying Television Writing and Producing. Moving to LA seemed to be the next step, and so in 2004 I drove across the country with no real plan and very little money. 20 years later, it is truly my home and I can’t picture living anywhere else. While I worked for many years in the realm of television (live TV shopping and direct response marketing) my true passion has always been baking. My love of baking started as a kid, growing up with a grandmother who would churn out endless amounts of cakes and cookies at the holidays. In my free time, I baked. I was the baker for every party, event and get together among friends and family, and was always told, “you should sell these!” A pipe dream, I thought to myself.
When I became a mom, I knew I wanted to take a break from work to be with my kids. For the past 8 years, I’ve been a stay-at-home mom. I realized that this was it – it was now or never to take a chance and start my own cottage bakery.
I’ve considered myself a baker and a true appreciator of sweets my entire life, but my absolute favorite thing to bake (and eat) has always been pie. My husband and I even had pies at our wedding in lieu of cake (shout out to The Apple Pan)! I decided from the get-go that I wanted to focus on pie, specifically fruit-forward seasonal pie.
Treats for Bears has now been up and running since September of 2023, and it’s been an exciting journey to grow a business from the ground up. As was my attitude with moving out to Los Angeles in 2004, I try to just go with the flow and see where this journey takes me. In the end, nothing makes me happier than baking for people, so whether that grows beyond my expectations or remains small, I will be happy.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think getting started is the hardest part when you decide to start any business. Fear of failure can be a powerful thing to overcome. In my experience, I didn’t have much to lose with starting a cottage bakery. Aside from obtaining a business license and going through the process of a health inspection and food safety training, I didn’t need to worry about loans or finding a bakery location. What I did not expect was how busy I would be during the holidays, even from the first few months of starting. It can be overwhelming and learning to manage your day-to-day is key.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I own a cottage bakery based in Santa Monica called Treats for Bears. I specialize in pies of every size and my hand pies are my most popular item. My menu changes with what’s in season and everything is fruit-forward. In the winter, I do a pear and cranberry pie and cinnamon roll apple pies, and in the summer I look forward to peach crumble pies and fresh cherry hand pies. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to bake professionally, and baking for people has always brought me so much joy. To say that starting this home-based bakery is a passion project is an understatement. This is what I’ve always wanted to do but was too afraid to start.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I’ve always tried to go with flow and not stress too much about the future. I think having the attitude of, “if this doesn’t work out, that’s okay” has allowed me to keep my anxiety in check. In the end, I’m doing something I love and I’m giving it a shot to make it grow.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treatsforbears/
Image Credits
Claire Gomez
