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Red Poppy Cakery Has a New Home

Help us grow and spread love through cake and community!

$15,690
pledged of$15,000 goal
86
0Days Left

Project Description

“Baking is love. Cake is love. Celebration is love. When we find a time to gather and recognize a special moment big or small, we are saying “I love you, I see you, and I care”.  This is what I love most about what I do. I get to be part of that message over and over again every week through custom confections and experiences.”

                -Janina Owner and Founder of Red Poppy Cakery

 

Janina Kotulich, owner and founder of Red Poppy Cakery, fell in love with baking and cake design at 14 years old. She began making custom cakes for family and friends and accidently started a business by the age of 15. She made her first wedding cake for a stranger at only 16 years old. Opening her own shop was always her dream. She hasn’t stopped making cakes for family and friends (even out of her college dorm) and has had a decade of professional experience working in bakeries, cafes, and kitchens across New England. She strategically paired this with a bachelors degree in business administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship from Babson College which has been ranked #1 in entrepreneurship for the last 26 years consecutively.
 
Red Poppy Cakery officially opened in April 2019 out of a shared commercial kitchen space in Burlington, VT. It began as a classic story of a young bootstrapper who held down 3 other part time jobs to get it up and running. Even when a pandemic shut this business down for 2 months and severely impacted the demand and sizes of celebration cakes, Red Poppy Cakery was able to triple its business in 2020. Part of that success was due to an additional innovative business model in facilitating virtual baking workshops and private events.
 
Overtime, it has grown and grown to the point that the shared commercial kitchen we started in, just isn’t enough time or space to meet the demand for Red Poppy confections and experiences. Since May, we have reached out capacity every week and had to close down ordering on our website early. We are ready for a space with more access and the ability to take on staff to help us meet the demand.
 
In 2021, Red Poppy Cakery found it’s next home in the heart of Downtown Waterbury, Vermont. This space can accommodate a full time cake schedule to meet the demand of the area and also capture the magic of teaching the team found virtually during the pandemic. The new space will be broken up into a commercial bakery and a teaching area for baking related workshops and private events to carry on our passion for teaching in a new way.
 
This is where we need your help, we launched this campaign to help us fit up the space to our needs and to the technical codes of food safety. In addition, these funds will help us purchase the necessary equipment such as our oven, fridges, shelves, and tables. The space was formerly a hair salon and will require lots of plumbing work, moving of walls, structural changes, new flooring and lighting, and a touch of creative flair to make it functional and special. From the moment we saw it, it felt like home.
 
Thank you for being curious with us. We hope you will be part of our journey by selecting a reward that matches your ability and excitement or sharing our story with your community. Every contribution matters. Thank you.

 

Updates

The Campaign FAQs

Where is the new space and when is it expected to open?

The new space is in downtown Watebury, Vermont on Elm St next to the Wine Vault. We have our fingers crossed we will be open in Late December/Early January.

 

What if I want a reward that is for VT only but I am not in VT?

We encourage you to support us through an alternative gift that we can fulfill to you. There are some limitations based on geographical access that would make it hard for us to keep our promise if you are not in the area. 

 

 

 

Melissa DiLapi
11/15/2021
Red Poppy Cakery Adult Apron
$40
Danuta
11/15/2021
Monetary Contribution
$50
Libby G
11/15/2021
Red Poppy Cakery Adult Apron
$50
The Nahy's
11/14/2021
Red Poppy Cakery Beanie
$50
Mary Beth Rauser
11/14/2021
Red Poppy Cakery Adult Apron
$40
Christine
11/14/2021
Monetary Contribution
$25
Bmsbrandon
11/13/2021
Monetary Contribution
$25
Alison Pigeon
11/13/2021
Monetary Contribution
$25
Amanda Grant
11/12/2021
Monetary Contribution
$40
Richard Nelson
11/11/2021
Poppy Club (VT only)
$200
Monetary Contribution

Just Because I Care

30 Supporters
Select this reward
35.00 USD
Red Poppy Cakery Kid's Apron

Red children's apron embroidered with the Red Poppy Cakery Logo to keep your little chefs as clean as possible. One size fits all.

48 Left
2 Supporters
Select this reward
40.00 USD
Red Poppy Cakery Adult Apron

Red adult apron embroidered with the Red Poppy Cakery Logo. One size fits all.

49 Left
11 Supporters
Select this reward
50.00 USD
Red Poppy Cakery Beanie

Gotta stay warm in these VT winters, do it in style!

64 Left
11 Supporters
Select this reward
150.00 USD
Baking Swag

Let's get you set up for success with a custom apron, oven mitt, and spatula!

42 Left
8 Supporters
Select this reward
200.00 USD
Poppy Club (VT only)

Every month for all of 2022, we will make you a 6-pack of cupcakes featuring one of the seasonal flavors.  This is about half the price it would be to order directly each month.

This option is available for pickup only in Waterbury, Vermont. 

23 Left
17 Supporters
Select this reward
250.00 USD
Private Virtual Baking Class (2 hr)

Let's pick a date, time, and recipe! We'll tackle it together on zoom one on one from our own kitchens and I will answer all of your baking questions!

4 Left
2 Supporters
Select this reward
500.00 USD
Cake decorating class

Be one of the first to see the new workshop space in Waterbury, VT, with up to 10 of your besties! We'll pick a cake design and do a private workshop for you.

Each guest can pick their cake flavor and we can accommodate for some dietary restrictions though we are not an allergen free facility. 

The normal value of this is between $580-700.

4 Left
2 Supporters
Select this reward
750.00 USD
We'll Name a Cake Flavor in Your Honor

Wow, thanks for considering this option! To show you our appreciation, we'll name one of our standard cake flavors in your honor. You'll even get a little say in which flavor we name after you. 

7 Left
1 Supporter
Select this reward
1,000.00 USD
Be an Official Taste Tester (VT only)

It is the most coveted job around. We'll invite you in every time the seasonal menu changes in 2021 for a chance to taste 5-10 new flavors in petite cupcakes. We want all the feedback!

13 Left
2 Supporters
Select this reward

About the Entrepreneur

Waterbury, VT
Created 1 Campaign
Lifestyle

Rewards

Monetary Contribution

Just Because I Care

30 Supporters
Select this reward
35.00 USD
Red Poppy Cakery Kid's Apron

Red children's apron embroidered with the Red Poppy Cakery Logo to keep your little chefs as clean as possible. One size fits all.

48 Left
2 Supporters
Select this reward
40.00 USD
Red Poppy Cakery Adult Apron

Red adult apron embroidered with the Red Poppy Cakery Logo. One size fits all.

49 Left
11 Supporters
Select this reward
50.00 USD
Red Poppy Cakery Beanie

Gotta stay warm in these VT winters, do it in style!

64 Left
11 Supporters
Select this reward
150.00 USD
Baking Swag

Let's get you set up for success with a custom apron, oven mitt, and spatula!

42 Left
8 Supporters
Select this reward
200.00 USD
Poppy Club (VT only)

Every month for all of 2022, we will make you a 6-pack of cupcakes featuring one of the seasonal flavors.  This is about half the price it would be to order directly each month.

This option is available for pickup only in Waterbury, Vermont. 

23 Left
17 Supporters
Select this reward
250.00 USD
Private Virtual Baking Class (2 hr)

Let's pick a date, time, and recipe! We'll tackle it together on zoom one on one from our own kitchens and I will answer all of your baking questions!

4 Left
2 Supporters
Select this reward
500.00 USD
Cake decorating class

Be one of the first to see the new workshop space in Waterbury, VT, with up to 10 of your besties! We'll pick a cake design and do a private workshop for you.

Each guest can pick their cake flavor and we can accommodate for some dietary restrictions though we are not an allergen free facility. 

The normal value of this is between $580-700.

4 Left
2 Supporters
Select this reward
750.00 USD
We'll Name a Cake Flavor in Your Honor

Wow, thanks for considering this option! To show you our appreciation, we'll name one of our standard cake flavors in your honor. You'll even get a little say in which flavor we name after you. 

7 Left
1 Supporter
Select this reward
1,000.00 USD
Be an Official Taste Tester (VT only)

It is the most coveted job around. We'll invite you in every time the seasonal menu changes in 2021 for a chance to taste 5-10 new flavors in petite cupcakes. We want all the feedback!

13 Left
2 Supporters
Select this reward