April, 2020
A little extra frosting never hurts, and I'm about to spread it on thick.
I think Tri-Cities has become well aware of the bright, teal-walled shop in the Parkway. It arrived bright and sweet in 2011, and has only risen higher.
The sweet half of the couple who own and operate Frost Me Sweet Bakery & Bistro, Megan Savely, makes desserts, but I think she is rivaling her products on the sweetness spectrum. I can imagine working for her is fun, because as a business owner she seems very detail oriented and likes things done a particular way; which I think is nice to have as an employee. Sincere and practical, hanging out with her was like a calm, relaxing 20 minute vacation from my day. I could tell if I met her outside of the bakery, we could have some fun.
I enjoyed talking to her, alot. (Plus she complimented my red tennis shoes, so we're bonded forever as sneaker heads).
Speaking of shoes... I had a chance to ask her a few questions, and one was; *Biggest oops moment learning to run your business?
"It's harder to think of the funny ones; I guess they don't tend to have as much impact as the oh-that-was-a-bad decision ones. I've done some things that are pretty laughable, now."
Recently, she slipped on a wet floor, splitting her head open, and then drove herself to urgent care for 7 staples, rushing back to work to finish and deliver a 5 tier Quinceanera cake, and making it in PERFECT time.
"The kicker is that our policy is to wear non-slip shoes, and I was not wearing mine in the kitchen that day, of course. Lesson learned the hard way on that one."
It's always the old lessons you already know that are the most annoying to meet again.
While she can find that laughable now, there's one that had me on the floor, laughing from the start. But, I'll save the best bite for last; so, don't leave without reading about a car ride with Katy Perry. It will have you 'busting up'.
Before the beloved Frost Me Sweet that you know and love arrived, Megan was selling her cupcakes out of a drive-through coffee shop that her husband ran. Skip a year ahead, and they were diving into opening FMS.
"We put every dime we had into starting the business, and we both went into it 100%, with no back up plan or safety net. If we failed then we would lose everything-literally."
Megan said, after being asked 'What had you most scared when first starting your business?'
"Everything. Everything was scary when we started."
"So, everything was a big deal, and I felt like everything had to be perfect and we HAD to succeed. I was worried about every little thing and I still feel that way, I think I’ve just gotten more comfortable with that fear."
'Are you more concerned now?'
"The fear is different now with facing COVID-19 and what it’s doing to my business. I feel a responsibility to my staff and to my husband/business partner to make sure things stay afloat. It’s not just he and I anymore- we have 38 employees who rely on us, and now we have a daughter, too."
Even if a few employees opted to stay home... "They all plan to come back and need a job to come back to. Plus there’s the people who are sticking by our side, working with us through this every day, and we owe it to them to continue evolving and adapting to what our new normal is. Now we have to succeed not just for ourselves, but for all these other people who rely on us."
The staff at FMS is always cheerful and nice. They actually talk to you a bit, even though you know they're so busy. And that right there just shows how great a job Megan and her husband are doing running their spot, because their staff like being there. They want to be there. And that makes me want to be there.
If you’re concerned you can’t get your cupcake fix during the shutdown, don’t worry, FMS is still open for walk-ins.
* When did you first have the idea to start your own business? What moment sparked the idea?
"I've always been an artist and a baker, but it wasn’t until 2007 when I was watching Ace of Cakes that I realized I might be able to marry those two passions.
I looked up a fondant recipe, made it, and instantly was hooked. It stayed a hobby until 2009, when my husband told me I should think about making it my job. It wasn't untill then, that I realized that might even be possible. He believed in me and that has given me so much courage through this whole adventure."
Alright, as promised, the Katy Perry Cake Escapade
"I made a giant Katy Perry cake with a cherry on her head once, then realized it couldn’t fit in any of the cars
... So, I had to pull the cherry off her head, and then sit in the back of the car holding her bust to steady her because she was bouncing all around, and I was afraid the chest was going to fall off her body."
(A concern I've had about the real Life KP.)
"I learned to measure my cakes and stack on site, if needed, after that." What a cake to learn that with; I can only imagine. She's really stacking up the points.
*Transplant or nuclear native?
Megan moved here in 1994, and besides moving away for college, has been here ever since.
*What made you choose Tri-cities?
"My husband talked me into moving back after college, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay, but the Tri-Cities is home, and after a few months I couldn’t think of leaving." "The people and sense of community here are the best."
It’s also the cost of living, the Columbia river, and that magic of a warm summer night here, that keeps her in love with the Tri.
"The Tri has so many wonderful things to offer, and I can’t imagine living or owning a business anywhere else."
I can't imagine summer nights without Frost Me Sweet just a bike ride away. And now that I've had the chance to meet Megan, I can't imagine this community without her, either.
The real cherry on top isn't the awesome atmosphere and food of Frost Me Sweet. It's the couple that own and operate this shop in the heart of Richland. Now I'm dreaming of summer nights, the FMS patio and 'sugar, oh honey honey'. 8752 People Reached
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