Old town Leesburg is always nice to go to, and when we are there, we often ask ourselves why we’ve not visited more often. There are hidden gems around each corner, making Loudoun one of the best places to live and visit. On one such visit, we turned into the back entrance of Lola’s Cookies & Treats located at 109 South King Street in historic downtown Leesburg. A tiny bakery filled with aromas that will seduce any dieter. We found Lorraine Hooper, the woman A great recipe is a good start, but a business is built on lots more than any single recipe. lola’s cookies behind the counter and the recipes.
She is no stranger to Leesburg, as she’s been selling her cookies and treats at the local Farmer’s Market for a while now. There was such a demand for her product, she had to upgrade and find herself commercial equipment and location. We can’t imagine her in a better place. She is growing her business and is happy to report Old Town Leesburg is doing just fine. We talked to her about her secrets to entrepreneurial success. She had a few pointers to share.
1. When did you open your doors for business and how did it all begin? I started out in my home kitchen with my Kitchen Aid mixer in 2001. I wanted a business that worked well with my family (i.e. no long commute to the city, very flexible hours), so I decided to make cookies and sell them at local farmers’ markets. I hoped all along that the business would grow to become a stand-alone retail business. We created a website to offer shipping and delivery, and finally opened our bakery in downtown Leesburg in 2006.
2. Why cookies? I’m a consummate baker. I like baking bread, cookies, muffins, cakes, biscuits…everything. But I wanted to keep it a bit simpler - at least at first - in my business, so I focused on cookies. I do also offer scones, cupcakes, bars and occasional breads, but the cookies are how I’ve built a name.
3. What is your personal history and background with baking? One of my first jobs as a teenager was at a cookie shop in Massachusetts. I loved that job! I grew up baking for my family and friends. I also worked at different bakeries during college. For me, it’s a creative process and an art form, and better in some ways because everyone can enjoy the results. I knew 20 years ago that I wanted to start a bakery. It took a long time to work up the nerve to do it.
4. How has your business changed over the years? Going from being a 1-person operation out of my home to a full shop with 6 part-time employees has been a huge adjustment for me. I’m still learning things every day about how I can do things better as a business owner, so I think we’re always changing in some ways, but at the same time I think the quality of our products has been as consistent as possible. We still bake most of the same cookies I did six years ago, but now we also offer cupcakes, we do more customization on special orders, and we’ve eliminated all peanuts from the bakery for the customers who are highly allergic. We’ve focused on many other details like packaging and marketing that help enhance the customers’ total experience with us.
5. What is your best selling product? The Chocolate Ginger cookies. People love ‘em!
6. What makes your products unique? We bake everything from scratch in an open kitchen where you can see us working, smell and see everything come straight out of the oven. You know you’re getting the freshest stuff around when you can have that first-hand experience. What makes our products most popular, however, is that they taste great and look beautiful.
7. What is the biggest challenge you have faced since in business? Constant growth is a constant challenge, but one that I enjoy.
8. Plans to grow? Yes! I hope to expand within the next 6 months, and hope to start offering custom-baked and decorated birthday cakes at that time.
9. Any tips for at home bakers? Baking at home is tricky because home equipment is not as precise as professional equipment. Use a thermometer in your oven to make sure your temperature is accurate. Measuring ingredients by weight rather than volume is more precise. Remember that baking is different from other cooking in that you need to be much more precise. Read and follow recipes to the letter.
10. Any tips for someone who has a great recipe and is considering going into business? A great recipe is a good start, but a business is built on lots more than any single recipe. Think about all the aspects involved in actually running a business and succeeding. You may decide you need a business partner, or would really be happier just baking for your own pleasure rather than turning it into a business. If you still really want to do it, read every book you can on starting a business, talk to the Small Business Development Center, go to trade shows and come up with a business plan, and go for it! It’s a lot of work, but creating a product and a business you can be proud of is an achievement worth working for.
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