Interview: Justin Greis from Niche Bakery, Panna Dolce
by Mark Nagurski
So what happens when an event sales manager and an IT professor / consultant encounter a delicious French fancy on their travels?
They spend the next five years launching a niche bakery business of course.
After becoming smitten with French macarons on a trip to Paris, husband and wife team Katharine and Justin Greis decided to track down the delicate pastries when they returned home to Chicago – only to find they couldn’t lay their hands on them.
Suitably motivated, they set out to create and sell their own under the brand Panna Dolce and have notched up some impressive sales since launching in December. I decided to get in touch to find out what motivated them and what they’ve learned so far.
[NB: Huge thanks to Justin for taking the time to share his thoughts with us.]
So tell us a little about where the idea for Panna Dolce came from.
Katharine (my wife) and I fell in love with French Macarons in 2003 while I was working in Paris. Katharine came to visit and we spent the afternoon at the classic French Macaron cafe called Laduree.
When we returned to the states we searched all over to find bakeries and patisseries that could emulate the kind of macarons we had in Paris. At the time very few people came close to the classic French recipe and even fewer were able to ship as the macarons were very delicate. I recall we ordered from one bakery and the majority of the macarons arrived in pieces.
We set out on a mission in 2004 to create an internet-based company specializing in French Macarons and a few other delicacies. It was easier said than done…
Katharine (the baker) experimented for months, trying to get the recipe just right. A year later she perfected the recipe but the macarons were too delicate and did not pass the shipping test. We dealt with issues of freshness, packaging, logistics, branding and marketing while building the website and business behind the scenes. We worked on the idea part-time as this was not our full time job.
It became a hobby of ours and we baked up batches at every opportunity. Five years passed and we finally got the recipe right and worked out the logistics and business automation of the website. We selected Volusion as our eCommerce solution as it had the right blend of flexibility and built-in functionality that enabled us to run the business rather than fight with code and security patches. Lauren Robin joined the team and brought restaurant industry experience, which was invaluable. The three of us work very well together and complement each others’ skill sets, which has been one of our critical success factors.
We went live on 12/12/2009 and it has been amazing. We have supplied macarons to parties, weddings, showers, boutique grocery stores and direct to customers from our website. We have leveraged social media and other networks to create relationships with our customers and fans. What’s most amazing is we have been able to turn strangers into tangible sales through our social network. Sites like Yelp, Metromix and Google Maps have also helped us spread the word and credentialize us through reviews and feedback.
Perhaps the most amazing thing is this is none of our full time jobs. Katharine and Lauren are event planners and I am technology consultant. Kat and Lauren bake everything to order in commercial kitchen and fulfill orders daily after work and on a pre-defined schedule. It makes for a very busy weekend, but when you do what you love, it never feels like work.
You say on your site that you’re ‘obsessed with sugar’, what is it about macarons, cookies and brownies that gets you so excited?
Macarons are amazing little sweets. They are light, delicate and VERY difficult to make. Many trendologists have said that macarons are the “next cupcake.”
I don’t think they are far off base… Macarons are unique and can be customized to suit your flavors and tastes. You can eat a few macarons in one sitting and not feel like you just ate a tub of butter.
What gets us excited is the possibilities of creating new flavors and taste combinations. We always experiment with new flavors textures. From melding sweet and savory such as sweet black sesame to specialized extracts such as vanilla rose, the possibilities are endless. We enjoy working with brides and party hosts looking for something unique and just for them.
It is always fun to watch someone bite into a macaron who has never tried one before. The slightly crisp outter shell gives way to a soft cookie shell with buttercream, ganache or preserve fillings is just amazing. People’s eyes light up and they typically gasp and say they had no idea that macarons were so good. We pride ourselves on new innovative flavors such as Almond Butter and Strawberry Jelly and Key Lime to decadent classics such as chocolate buttercream.
You’re currently selling online and through select retailers – how do you go about getting the word out?
We heavily leverage our social network and online media (twitter, facebook, flickr, blog). When we do something we create a buzz and stay close to foodies and friends in the industry for feedback and PR. We got a great response that way… We also contacted some of the retailers directly and partnered with them to sell our products in stores. All they had to do was try our products and they were hooked.
Did you consider selling through an existing marketplace like Foodzie?
We knew we had to create an online presence of our own. Panna Dolce is more than just macarons, it’s a brand that stands for uncompromising quality. We considered other online mediums, but wanted to control the brand and do certain customizations ourselves we could only do on a site of our own.
Sites like Foodzie are wonderful and I would think we may consider offering our products as an alternative outlet, but we really wanted to maintain control of the brand and user experience.
What have been the biggest challenges so far in getting Panna Dolce off the ground?
Controlling growth! We have had wonderful success in a very short period of time and we are trying to be smart about how fast to grow and which outlets are best for us. We learned quickly that it’s not about selling in every store outlet you can, it’s about being true to your product and brand to deliver on your promise to the customer.
What’s in store for Panna Dolce in the future?
We are introducing a new line of macarons in March called PD Signature that are truly unique to Panna Dolce. They use hazelnut, cashew, pecan and walnut flour rather than the typical almond flour. We will continue to sell online and look for select retail outlets interested in our products.
Finally, we have also done a tremendous amount of gift, favors and wedding business… We will be doing some promotions for brides, especially as the spring/summer wedding season approaches.
Finally, what advice would you give someone who wanted to start a similar business?
Plan, Plan and Plan…but not for too long…in this market you have to move quickly. Make sure you have thought about the obvious fundamentals of business planning, but act boldly when the time is right.
Also, when it comes to your product and service, you must always put the customer first. Do not compromise on quality. If something is wrong, fix it. You never know who will turn around to become your biggest advocate if you provide unparalleled customer service.
Site: www.pannadolce.com
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Panna Dolce recently launched an online bakery on Volusion Inc.’s e-commerce platform, where built-in social networking tools are helping its sales to rise, Panna Dolce co-owner Katharine Greis says.
“Awesome”…this is one of the best bakery item I have eaten in years. Heard about Macrons and Panna Dolce from a friend and thought of giving it a try, Both my wife and I were pleasantly surprised with the quality and taste of Macrons. Panna Dolce did excellent job in packing and shipping. I got it delivered to DC from Chicago and got all the Macrons intact and fresh. I will definitely recommend it and would like try few more flavors.