Short Street Cakes honored as Small Business of the Month

We are pleased to recognize Short Street Cakes as Small Business of the Month for May. Read on for our interview with owner Jodi Rhoden.

Tell us a little of the history of the company.

Short Street Cakes began in 2006, after my son was born, when I started baking wedding cakes for friends in my home kitchen in Montford. Three years later, I went through the Mountain Bizworks Foundations class, which enabled me to get funding to open the Cake Shop on Haywood Road in West Asheville. We now employ 11 individuals and have been thankful to experience sales growth each year we have been open!

What are you most proud of about the company?

As a former social worker, I feel extremely proud of the work we have been able to accomplish in the community, hosting fundraisers and supporting events that support the needs of the community. Short Street Cakes  operates from a “Triple Bottom Line” philosophy and we work in alignment with our mission statement: “to add meaning to life’s celebrations by providing beautiful, delicious, all-natural, scratch-made cakes, and in so doing, generate a sustainable livelihood for our employees, educate the community about traditional foodways, and support the local food and agriculture economy.”

 

Best advice you’ve gotten for leading a small business

My father, who is also an entrepreneur, gave me this advice when I started my business: “You don’t have to be the best at what you do, you just have to do what you say you are going to do, every time, and everything else will fall into place.” I’ve found this advice to be invaluable, and has guided me through difficult times.

Your favorite thing in your “office.”

My office is in a corner of the Cake Shop, where I get to look out on all the beautiful cakes, happy customers, neighbors, passersby, and the beautiful faces of our family of bakers. So I guess my favorite “thing” in my office is the view.

What’s next on the horizon?

I’m happy to report that we are bursting at the seams and are working on a plan to expand the Cake Shop in its current location.

The Asheville Chamber’s tagline is “Connect. Engage. Impact. Thrive.” Pick one of these words and tell us what it means to you as a small business in Asheville.

I’m drawn to that word “Thrive.” It reminds me that, eight years ago, baking and creating a business became a lifeline for me and my family. My hope is that Short Street Cakes will be a venue for helping other people, employees, fellow bakers and entrepreneurs, to actualize their dreams and reach their potentials, and that Asheville will redouble its efforts to support every person’s dream of lifting themselves out of poverty and into giving back to the community.