Meet Andrea Baran | Lodge and bakery owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrea Baran and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born in the US and come from an interracial marriage. My mother met a handsome military man and immigrated to the U.S from Taiwan when she was 26. My parents are one of my favorite success stories. Despite language barriers and a humble financial background, they taught me through determination, perseverance and passion anything is possible. They also taught me the importance of treating everyone equally regardless of their background or financial standing.

Wanting to own their own business and property, their first commercial investment was a run down apartment building that was foreclosed on several times in a rough low income neighborhood in LA. I was in elementary school at the time. I remember it having no doors on the units, drug raids and drug dealers. There are even some pretty famous rap songs written about that neighborhood . Through their determination, kindness and ability to navigate through different social and racial circles, they took a building that was considered ” hopeless and unmanageable” and made it into a profitable income property. Today, they own several income properties throughout Southern California.

I started my first business when I was 26 and going to college in China. It was an Inspections and sourcing company specializing in marble and granite. I was the interpreter for U.S buyers and would manage their production in factories. It was a pretty harsh environment. Stone factories were located in very poor and primitive parts of the country. However I was determined to see my business idea happen.

If you were in need of my services that typically meant you and your orders were in trouble. Communication and cultural misunderstandings seem to always be the root of the problem. Then you had parties that were just not respectful and judgmental towards each other. There were times I felt like I was a medium channeling negative energy from both sides and interpreting it into a culturally acceptable conversation. Regardless if you were the buyer, factory owner or a worker, I made it a point to treat everyone equally, fairly and with an open mind. I felt through that I earned the respect of the buyer, factory owner and workers. When I visited the factories, I would take the time to eat lunch or dinner with them. Something the U.S buyer typically would not do. In their defense I will admit some of the restaurants were pretty adventurous! Through this we were able to bond and gain an understanding of each other .Something my parents would do. ” Break bread”. We learned how to work together and meet the goals and expectations of the buyers. I became a cultural bridge. It was through my upbringing that I developed ” Chameleon skills.” The ability to adapt and adjust ones behavior and emotions according to different social situations.

Today, I own a lodge and just opened a bakery/ spice shop in Estes park. I continue to treat all my guests, customers and employees with respect and an open mind. Whether you are a local or from out of town, we want you to feel at home and that your opinion and experience matters to us.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What I am most excited and proud about right now is my Bakery/Spice Shop. Next to the lodge was an very old run down building. It had been vacant for years and definitely neglected. It was once the home of the beloved Dunraven Inn restaurant that locals and visitors had a very strong attachment to. It was definitely a hole in the wall with dollars bills on the walls to boot. I like to joke there was a reason why they kept the lights dimmed low! When I shared my ideas with the locals I felt some resistance as everyone wanted their Dunraven back and I had big shoes to fill. That really filled me with doubt. I felt no one saw my vision. I got the idea of a bakery from one that we used to visit when I was a kid. It became a destination for visitors on the way to the mountains. We would always take our guests there and it was fun. It was something Estes Park did not have. We opened 3 months ago. I love seeing the reaction on the locals faces when they first walk in. What was a dark, dank old building now has a bright new life with a pastry bar, wall of spices, and a coffee bar. We also have a quiet room for guests to sit and enjoy conversations. It still brings tears to my eyes when locals compliment me and give me hugs for what we did to the building and for what we added to the community.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Being next to the Rock mountain National park, I would start there with some hikes. Then, dinner at the Rock Inn. I love the food and the mountain vibe it has. They have live music as well. For lunch, I would drive to Allenspark. Its a nice drive. There is an Art Gallery and some funky restaurants that are worth a visit.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Besides my parents, Orla Larson. She was another ” Lady of the stone industry” She had spent decades in the Italian stone market before I was even born. She hired me for an order she had in China that turned into partnership that lasted for years. Our claim to fame is the Ritz Carlton/ JW Marriott for LA Live. We supplied all the stone .It was a 54 story building that took years to complete. She taught me how to hold my ground in a male dominated industry.

Website: https://www.thespicerack.co