Today we’d like to introduce you to Hira F. Umer.
Hira, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Scrumptious by Hira started as a hobby after I stumbled upon a very basic cake decorating class at the local neighborhood craft store in 2011. I always had a love of learning new things, and this was meant to be just that — a new skill to have under my belt, a fun past time. I was always a creative person when I was a little girl, but never had the right outlet to express that creativity, until I discovered cake decorating.
After completing that four-week class, I continued making fancy cakes for family & friends and my siblings really encouraged me to turn this into a business and named the business for me and set up social media pages for it at that time. I kept learning more and more through trial and error and I wasn’t yet super keen on turning this into an actual business, I never really had that intention at all. I would take orders here and there to have the opportunity to work on a new technique or design. I was really just focused on creating, it was therapeutic for me, it excited me, I loved figuring out how to make new designs, internal structures etc.
In mid-2013 is when I decided that this is what I would be doing full time so that I could stay home with my newborn son and still have a source of income. I started working from home and before I knew it, Scrumptious by Hira had really taken off.
Late 2015, I had begun to outgrow the space at home and had the desire to separate work and home life. After evaluating the situation at that time, I decided to take on the project of opening a brick and mortar storefront. June 14, 2016, I signed a lease for the soon to be a storefront. After a grueling five months of building out space from scratch, on November 19, 2016, we opened our first official Scrumptious by Hira Headquarters on Roosevelt Road in Lombard, IL.
The past two years have just been a whirlwind, it’s a whole new world of challenges, but I’m determined to keep going and keep growing and figuring it all out as I go.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Has it been a smooth road? Most definitely not.
Making pretty cakes is one thing, entrepreneurship is a whole different ball game. Having never worked a traditional job a day in my life, I always felt like every step of the way, I’ve been winging it. I’ve had no formal training or education — either as a pastry chef or as a business student. I have always just made the best of the resources available to me and have learned by experience.
Having a cake fail is heartbreaking. Getting a bad review, is gut-wrenching. Being a female and that too of a minority is a challenge on its’ own.
When I went out to open a storefront, I had no idea about what to look for in an ideal space, how to negotiate a lease, what construction would entail, or that I even had to hire an architect. But, I had to figure it out.
When it comes to cakes, I’m always up for a challenge. I’ve been blessed with clients that are always ready to throw a challenge at me, and I take it in a heartbeat. Figuring out the logistics of a cake, the structure, the design, the transportation etc is always a thrill. Most of the time, it all works out, once in a while, it doesn’t.
What I do know is I’ve learned from each challenging experience and I always make notes on what I can do better the next time around I face something similar or how I can prevent it from happening again.
The advice I’d give to other women is the advice my dad has always given me, and these two pieces of advice have gotten me through some of my toughest times. He’s always told me “Where there is a will, there is a way” and “Each day, just do YOUR best.”
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Scrumptious by Hira – what should we know?
We specialize in custom cakes and desserts for all types of events. In the creative aspect, we are known for our fondant work and unique designs. In terms of product, we are very well known for our Tiramisu, which is our best selling item to date. Our cake pops are a close second. Unlike the typical cake pops, our cake pops have a truffle texture on the inside and, of course, are made with a secret ingredient 😉 Suffice to say, we’ve turned very many tiramisu and cake pop skeptical into Tiramisu and Cake pop lovers, well at least the Scrumptious version of these. 🙂
The one thing that I am the proudest of in my business is the fact that our clientele trusts us to bring their stories to life. Each individual and family that we work with has a story to tell. Each cake has a story behind it. We love sharing stories, it’s what we do best. Our clientele does not hesitate to bring us a challenging design and they leave it up to us to make it happen.
What sets us apart is that with each passing order, we build our community. Placing an order at Scrumptious is not merely a transaction. It’s not just another order in the books. A lot of clients that have chosen us over competition have always remarked that it feels more like family here. It doesn’t feel transactional. And most of the time, our interaction doesn’t end at that one order. For most people, we have done their birthday parties, to graduations, to the bridal shower, to weddings, to then their baby showers and then further on, their kids’ first birthdays etc. They pop into our shop, and share updates on their newest addition to their family or their latest adventure. It’s a good feeling. We share the joys, we share the sorrows. It’s connecting on a very personal level. That’s not something you can find at just any other bakery. I always feel honored to be such an important part in the milestones of all these peoples’ lives.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
I believe there is an opportunity for women everywhere, as long as they are willing to seek it out. My world is all full of unicorns and rainbows, I’m a very positive and optimistic person for the most part. It’s very hard for me to see things “realistically”. I’m also very hard headed in the sense that if someone tells me I can’t do xyz, I take it upon myself to show them that I will most definitely do that xyz thing. (Still debating if that’s a good thing or not). Most of the time, this is what fuels me.
The world is full of negativity, it’s full of excuses, it’s full of restrictions, boundaries, whether that be cultural or because of religion, race, gender, etc. but at the end of the day, life is what YOU make of it. Things happen, whether it’s something that is out of our control that happens to us, or we mess up on our own. But how you react to that event and bring yourself up from it is what matters the most.
You can do anything that you set your mind to.
Pricing:
- Custom Cakes: Starting at $5.00 a slice
- Dessert Table Packages: Starting at $6.50 a person
Contact Info:
- Address: 825 E Roosevelt Road
Lombard, IL 60148 - Website: www.scrumptiousbyhira.com
- Phone: 630-656-7760
- Email: scrumptiousbyhira@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/scrumptiousbyhira
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/scrumptiousbyhira2011
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/sbyhira
Image Credit:
Ribbon Cutting Photo: Hina D Yahya
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