Successful People from Our Neighborhood - Barb Accogli and Monja Chiara, Cake Designers at Cake Star
Did you know there is a Wonderland at Long Branch? A place so full of magic that air actually sparkles and smells sweeter then a childhood dream? Well, I've seen one myself! It is called "Cake Star"! I bet you there is a story behind the name, but here is my version. "Cake"-part is easy - best cakes in Toronto are created right there! "Star"-part might seem a bit challenging for the next 3 seconds, right till you meet the two Stars - Barb Accogli and Monja Chiara! Barb and Monja are sisters and the essence of "Cake Star", charming and sweet ladies, who own and run the shop, design, bake, create, decorate, present and fill with magic. I probably missed 500 other things they do and really hope for forgiveness. Please, welcome - Barb and Monja!!!
Ladies, where are you originally from?
Monja: I was born here, in Canada
Barb: I was born in Italy, Rome, but my parents came to Canada when I was 1 year old.
Do you have other siblings?
We have third sister, she helps us from time to time, she has a lot of skills in organizing and coordinating, but she does a lot of it behind the scenes. She works for different TV shows.
So, you probably get a lot of advertising?
Absolutely. We service a lot of TV shows in the area, like Rookie Blue, Saving Hope & Lost Girl
How long ago was the store open?
2 years. We are actually a 5-year old business - turning 5 in the end of this month. But we were actually in the bakery business since we were little girls. Initially we opened a cake shop based on our family bakery business. We were making cakes for the family business and for the Cake Star out of the same facility. But then we realized that our shop was a little too small. Our parents were retiring, so we started looking for a new place. This place was close to home, so we were happy to find it.
What was your dream as a child, did you always want a cake shop?
Monja: No, I am a rebel in this industry, I did every other thing possible - I was in fitness, personal training, martial arts, jewelry, make up art. Anything and everything for like 15 years.
Barb: I did a lot of different things too - I studied interior design, I managed the bakery, my family business for 10 years. My Mom was missing a person for a managerial position, so she offered me to come and try it. After a while I realized I did not want to do it anymore. So, I took interior design and I loved it, I did staging for a while for real estate.
Monja: Well, we are all very creative in different ways
Barb: Yes, very creative - film, design, creative art. My Mom was really good at painting. But after doing staging and design, I went back to work for the bakery. I never stopped making cakes all this time. At that time I also started doing a lot of office administrative part, so had a good chance to learn the business from the inside. And then I got pregnant, so Monja had to come and help out.
Monja: I was a freelance make up artist at M.A.C. and working at weddings at that time. But I said: “Ok, this is family business I will come and help”.
Barb: In 2004 when I had Amelie, Monja was working for me at the bakery full time, learning how to make cakes.
Monja: My son was small at the time, so that gave me a lot of flexibility to help my family. I started taking over the cakes and this is when I started learning.
Barb: We actually learned to decorate cakes when we were 10 years old - how to pipe cream.
Monja: But the fondant work, the 3D, the creative part - this I started practicing. And I am self-taught for the most part. Someone would come in and say: “Can you make this dog?” and I would answer: “OK, I will try”. People were very patient. But I already knew how to work with the material, I just took my artistic skill to the whole new level.
Barb: But going back to my dream, or at least one of them - I always wanted a cake shop.
What was your first creation and old were you at the time?
Barb: I remember my first cake really well, I was about 14, we had a family bakery for about a year at that point. I was helping my Dad, and seeing him to fill and decorate, I was making a mess at first but eventually picking up the skill. And I decorated my first perfect cake at 14. But developing really good skill takes years and years of practice.
How long we've been in the bakery business?
Monja: About 20 years.
Barb: Our bakery was our playground - we were there every Christmas, every Saturday. It is in our blood.
Did you have any disasters with your cakes?
Monja: Oh, God, yes!
Barb: Definitely, I wish we had a camera and youtube back then! We had a few wedding disasters, one time, when I delivered a cake, the top tier fell half way off. And Once we made this really cute, whimsical cake, one of those topsy-turvy cakes. At the time and did not quite understand the structure of a whimsical design. This was the one that we delivered for my husband’s restaurant, we opened the trunk and the whole top slid off. I called Monja and said: “I have an emergency - you have to come here right now!”
Monja: I grabbed my kit, I had some fondant and we tried to fix it with some flowers. It turned out lovely. People loved it, but it was very panicky, and stressful, and emotional.
Nobody guessed?
Barb: Nobody guessed! We fixed it to a point that no one could see. But this was one of those occasions that really make you to look back and analyze, and make sure this would never happen again.
Monja: And you know, we have to get better and better all the time. Every cake I make is personal to me, and if someone is unhappy or something happens to it - I take it very personally.
Barb: I had a bit of an error with one of my orders last week and I still wake up thinking about it. Every morning I think I should have done something differently.
Monja: Because cakes are meant to give us a happy moment. You have to be very personal with people to order them, it is a side of the business that we almost did not expect - developing this connection with the customer, to learn what would make them happy.
Do you have a problem cutting your own cake?
Barb: No, not at all.
Monja: It is a part of our service - to cut our own cakes. We bring it to the event, but nobody knows how to cut it. And since we made the cake everyone assumes we would be more comfortable cutting it.
You would probably have an issue watching somebody else cutting your cake and making a mess!
Barb: Yes, actually!
Monja: I have no problem with cutting it. Once it is out there, everyone have seen it, took pictures - I would cut it, cause I want them to eat it. It is a part of the joy - eat it all!
What is the most challenging part of your day to day work?
Monja: Running the business.
Barb: Physically day to day running the business, paying the bills, organizing, scheduling meetings
Monja: You can’t sell your product without being out there, being at shows. After shows we feel really ripped and exhausted. And we are used to working hard, but there is a lot more to run a show: menus, delivering back and forth, all little details.
Barb: We like to portray ourselves in a certain manner. We like people to walk into our shop and immediately feel comfortable. We have all our treats displayed nicely, it looks delicious, it is all fresh. And it takes a lot of time and preparation.
Monja: The creative part is not hard. People are not hard to deal with, we are both People
Pleasers!
Barb: The day to day organizing is hard. We are going home and we have to cook and clean there too!
Monja: When I get home, sometimes I don’t want to go into a kitchen at all, I just want it to stay nice and clean.
Do you like eating sweets!
Monja and Barb: Oh yeah! Big time.
Barb: I am trying not to overeat, but we try all of our treats! We have to make sure we like them, so that our customers like them too. And we are very picky!
What are your favorites?
Barb: Red Velvet Cream Cheese, but I also love our Macarons. We make amazing Macarons!
Monja: Nutella Macarons are ones of my favorites.
Barb: Definitely our yummy cookies.
How about the cake?
Barb: I would say my vanilla cake is pretty darn good!
Monja: Strawberry short cake! But I would eat them all.
Barb: We make a really good dark chocolate cake that happens to be gluten free as well, it is very decadent and delicious.
Monja: I only eat gluten free. And we make really good gluten free brownies and gluten free fudge cake pops.
Do you guys like to travel?
Monja: We love to travel. We used to travel way more when we were younger. Next year it will be Italy.
So, Barb, you have a daughter and you, Monja, have a son, how do you manage?
Monja: We manage - it is called a balance of life…
Barb: We have a schedule - who is picking up the kids, who is cooking the dinner, who is picking up the groceries. It takes a lot of communication and we share the responsibilities.
Monja: My son is 11 and I just gained 2 stepdaughters last year, it is a lot of fun, and we manage.
Do you, Ladies, have a lot of competition?
Barb: Yes, we do. I see people make beautiful cakes and treats, I don’t know how they taste… But healthy competition is always good.
Monja: We’ve seen a huge increase in competition in a last few years. People are opening cake shops everywhere.
But they all different, because everyone has own style?
Barb: Of course, everyone has own style, and skills and experience.
How do you like working at Long Branch?
Monja: Long Branch village is growing and transforming, all these new buildings and designs. We are happy and excited to be a part of this community.
Are you planning any events for Halloween?
Monja: Yes, we are planning a Halloween event for the kids. It would be a drop in - kids can come in and decorate their own cupcakes or cookies. We have fun sprinkles to add their treats. We also dress up from Halloween, so when the kids walk in they have fun. We love fun!
Barb: We also have an event for Christmas, usually during the Santa Clause Parade. We place a table outside with hot chocolate, cupcakes and treats. Just getting the community sitting in front of our shop is a lot of fun. We make a lot of different gifts for Christmas - Christmas tree shaped cookies. Our store is all decorated and looks like a magic sweet land.
Were you thinking of bringing kids for school field trips to visit your shop?
Monja: We did. We had an event for my son’s class, it was only 14 kids as he is in a special needs class. We had a birthday cupcake decorating party. They were so happy and excited to be here! We are trying to help the Autism community and special needs community. We actually started a charity in support of my son called “Tools for Juls” and we are hold an event a year to raise money for his special therapy.
This is wonderful and I am pretty sure the whole community could support this charity!
Last questions, Ladies, what is home for you?
Monja: Home for me is where my family is.
Barb: Definitely, where my family is.
Monja: We used to have different houses, and now we leave close by as a family.
I can be anywhere, as long as my family is there - I am home.
Barb: This shop is also our home, so it is a split - family and business!
Visit Cake Star online!
Like Cake Star on Facebook!
Compliments of Marina Gavrylyuk
Real Estate Agent with Sutton Group Summit Realty
www.MarinaG.ca
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