Meet Megan Thoprakane | Small Business Owner & Pastry Chef

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

Hi Megan, the decisions we make often shape our story in profound ways. What was one of the most difficult decisions you’ve had to make?
To begin. Deciding to stop working a reliable 9-5 with a consistent income and take a chance at working for myself with no guarantee that things were going to work out or not.

What should our readers know about your business?
So I started my business after I got laid off because of Covid. It had been a long time dream of mine to open my own bakery. That was the reason why I moved to Colorado. To go to Johnson & Wales University to study baking and pastry and food service management, study abroad, and start my own business. But after completing school and learning how difficult it could be, I wasn’t sure if I could do it, so I jumped around working for different catering companies instead. Until I got laid off and was encouraged to start then.

The beginning of getting everything that I needed to start a business, website, equipment, pricing, etc, took some time to figure out. I had help so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I’m someone that likes to know quite a bit about things before I begin so that I feel educated and prepared. But what I’ve learned is that sometimes you may never feel prepared and just have to go for it, otherwise you’ll spend too much time preparing and will never get around to the doing. You’ll figure things out along the way and what you thought would be the worst case scenarios aren’t as bad as you make them out to be in your mind. You will be ok.

I had always had a passion for decorating though. That’s the part of baking that I truly enjoy. The end when I get to make everything look beautiful. What sets my business apart from others is that everyone gets to decide on exactly how they want their cake or dessert to look, and even if I’ve never done it before, I figure it out and make it happen. That’s the super fun part! Trying out new things and making someone’s vision come to life for them.

Social media really helped get my business’s name out there and before long, I was getting orders. I keep doing what I’m doing and more people keep on finding me and spreading the word to people that they know how much they enjoy my cakes. For that I am truly grateful.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I really enjoy hiking and food, so whenever I have friends visit, I take them to the mountains. Places like the Rocky Mountain National Park, Breckenride, Estes Park, Red Rocks, and Boulder. Those places are beautiful and fun to explore. Some food places that I would take them to eat are Dae Gee for Korean barbeque, Star Kitchen for dim sum, Tag burger bar for burgers, and Snooze for breakfast. If they want sushi I would take them to Hapa Sushi, or if they wanted something fancier we would go to Izakayaden. Zero Degrees for boba drinks, fried chicken and fries smothered in melted cheese and hot cheeto dust. Or Bon Chon for wings. A bakery that I really like is Tokyo Premium Bakery so I would take them there. Heaven Creamery for ice cream.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It would have to be my ex boyfriend Loren. He really believed in me and pushed me to start what he believed I could do when I didn’t really believe in myself yet. He helped me get everything up and running because I had absolutely no idea what to do. He already knew how to begin and run a business because he has his own, LRoss Marketing Consulting. Even though we didn’t work out, we’re still friends and he’s still rooting for me. So I really appreciate all the support and help that he’s given me this entire time.

Website: https://cutecakesandbakes.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecutecakesandbakes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecutecakesandbakes