Monthly Archives: February 2014

Rosa Stakofsky Franchisee spotlight

Rosa Stakofsky Franchisee spotlight

15 years ago,
which was supposed to be temporary. I was a branch
manager for a small bank in New Jersey and I brought
with me my employee managing and customer service
skills to the shoppe.
My husband trained me, and taught me how to
whip cakes, the basic 22 shell trim, the leaf, how to put
pictures on cakes, how to write and how to draw on them!
I thought, this is great! I was inspired by his creativity!
I loved working with my husband, I was hooked, and so
I stayed. I traded my suits and heels for sneakers and
Carvel shirts.
Fast forward five years: I get a call from a customer
requesting a cake, but not an “Ordinary Carvel Cake,”
so I told her I had just the thing for her – one she
would love!
I proceeded to make for her a hot-pink reverse shell
border, with a hand-drawn hot-pink heart with two sugar
roses on each corner! I presented it to her with such pride.
She hated it! She looked at it and then at me and said,
“Yep, an ordinary Carvel Cake!” I stood there with my
mouth open, upset with myself, my ego hurt.
From then on I swore to myself this wouldn’t happen
again. I asked my husband to teach me to make flowers,
but I couldn’t learn from him. Some things you just have
to do yourself. So I practiced making roses into the whip
tubs in the winter and when I was at the store late.
I practiced different trims, and bought so many books I
could start my own library.
Scott Colwell
Franchise spotlight
One day when I was cleaning the store, I came across a
motor. “What’s this, Rich?” I said. “It’s my airbrush,” he replied.
“So why don’t we do cake kits?” I said. From there my cake
kit era was born. This is how I started and morphed into
my current self. I never say no to a cake. I tell them I will
need to look at it, if they have a picture, before I price it.
If it’s an idea they have, but aren’t quite sure, we talk it out.
I sketch sometimes and I call them back with a price.
If you ever told me 15 years ago that I would be doing
this line of work, I would have told you, “You’re out of
your mind!”
Maybe I am!
My best advice is to practice and have patience. I didn’t
learn overnight.