02/04/2013
February 28th will mark the end of an era for me - I will be closing Gourmet Cookies & More. First the website (www.gourmetcookiesandmore.com) will go down and eventually this FB page or I might just keep this page as a nostalgic reminder of what once was and could have been. When I went into this venture, I told myself that I would give myself a year and see what direction it takes me. I thank you all!! My friends and family for your encourgement and support in helping me pursue my passion in baking but the Government regulations are tougher on smaller businesses rather than larger companies and, unfortunately, this discourages a lot of wannabe entrepreneurs from pursuing their true passions. Working from home under the "Cottage Food Law" has a lot of restrictions and I learned the hard way. In September when things were looking promising, I was working out a deal with a local coffee/tea house who was very interested in my cookies and we were talking about which cookies to match with the unique coffees/teas they served. A few days later what seemed to be very promising was shattered in an instant. I was told that they had found out that in order for them to purchase my baked goods I would have to be working from a commercial kitchen being that the Health and Agriculture Department and the "Cottage Food Law" which only allows my home-based business to sell directly to the consumer and not through a store or cafe would not allow me to do so and they did not want to take the risk of course. I understood clearly, talk about bursting my bubble! From there things just went downhill and my passion with it, to the point that it no longer was making me happy. The reality of this is that if one does not have the financial means it is almost impossible to pursue being that commercial kitchens charge at least a minimum of $25 per hour. That would mean I would have to double or even perhaps triple the cost of my Gourmet Cookies and of course at that price they would never sell being that they were already on the high end but of course well worth it. After coming to the realization that my dream was taken from me, I have no other option but to close the business. I have been true to myself, and have tried to remain confident in the face of adversity but it is time to go....we'll see where life takes me next. When one door closes, others really do open. :)
Gourmet Cookies & More - Tampa, FL. Unique and Freshly Baked All Natural Gluten Free Options
