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Cindy Baugatz has not only built a successful confectionery with Tortenmarie but also overcome numerous challenges and achieved significant milestones that have shaped her path to self-employment.
The Founding of Tortenmarie
Cindy Baugatz founded "Tortenmarie" as a sole proprietorship on July 1, 2007, as a side business. Baking was practically in her blood, as her mother also had a passion for it.
The now 49-year-old initially worked at the Israel Bakery in Neubrandenburg. Although Cindy originally did not plan to become self-employed, her husband encouraged her with the words: "Come on, we can do this, we can make it."
At the age of 21, the Feldberg native completed her master baker's certification at evening school and faced the first challenges of self-employment, such as strict hygiene regulations in the confectionery trade and applying for building permits.
In 2008, the foundation for the confectionery was laid on their home property, which posed a financial challenge. "It was difficult to secure financing, but in the end, we managed it with our own funds," Cindy Baugatz recalls. With the support of the Chamber of Crafts of East Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, she applied for a start-up grant and registered as unemployed at the end of 2009 to start her full-time self-employment at the Tortenmarie Café at the Culture Park in March 2010 with the start-up grant.
From Business Plan to Regional Success
With the help of the Chamber of Crafts, Cindy created a business and revenue plan. Cindy Baugatz financed the Tortenmarie Café at the Kurpark mostly with her own funds, with 30 percent of the costs covered by state subsidies. Close cooperation with the Hamburg Bakers' Guild ensured regular professional support.
The Tortenmarie Café at the Kurpark, with a large terrace, was equipped for summer operations in 2010, including an ice cream machine, chairs, and a small house. "New Year's Eve was a special challenge when we baked over 2000 pancakes," says Cindy, whose husband Frank was her first employee. They delivered cakes and cookies to Krugsdorf Castle and attended wedding fairs. Her sister also helped out. She hired her first saleswoman for the café.
In 2019, Cindy opened another café in Alter Landweg. She currently employs four staff members, including a master confectioner.
Among the milestones, Cindy counts the opening of the café on Alten Landweg, the Sunday bread roll sales with 900 to 1000 rolls, and the 10th anniversary, which she celebrated as a farm festival and open bakery day. "A significant milestone in our development is also the decision to remove wedding cakes from our range," says Cindy Baugatz, adding, "Although we are proud to have started with wedding cakes, we are optimizing our offerings to continue providing the best possible service to our customers."
After many years of dedication and numerous milestones, such as the opening of the second store and the introduction of new product lines, Tortenmarie has established itself as a fixture in the region. But success does not come by chance – it is the result of a well-structured and disciplined daily routine.
"The founding of Tortenmarie was a journey full of challenges and milestones. With the support of my family, I managed to turn my passion for baking into a successful business. Our team works every day with dedication and attention to detail to meet our customers' expectations. Team cohesion is the key to success."
– Cindy Baugatz, Master Baker and Entrepreneur
Cakes, Creativity, and Customer Service: A Typical Day at Tortenmarie
The daily routine at Tortenmarie begins at 8 a.m. First, the ovens are heated, and the ingredients for the various cakes and pastries are prepared. The staff bakes cakes for orders and the store, lovingly decorates pastries, and tries out new creations. Each cake and pastry is made with great care and attention to detail from traditional ingredients to meet customers' expectations.
At 1 p.m., it's time for the joint lunch break for the bakery staff. "Our lunch break is an important moment of togetherness," emphasizes Cindy. During this time, all employees come together to exchange ideas, relax, and recharge for the rest of the day. This break not only strengthens team spirit but is also an opportunity to discuss creative ideas and suggestions for improvement.
For the Sunday bread roll sales, the day begins at 4 a.m. "The dough is made just like it was by mom and grandma, using traditional recipes passed down through generations," reveals Cindy. The smell of freshly baked rolls fills the bakery and attracts the first customers.
Quality and Variety with Attention to Detail
Tortenmarie's range is diverse and includes a wide variety of delicacies. These include classic cakes, fine pastries, cookies, rum balls, pastries, liqueurs, and marzipan cakes. In addition, the team constantly experiments with new recipes, such as the popular vegan chocolate cookies, to offer customers new taste experiences.
What sets Tortenmarie apart from other confectioneries? "It is the quality and variety of the products that we make with attention to detail," emphasizes the master baker. She draws her daily motivation from customer feedback, guestbook entries, and positive Google reviews. "The positive feedback from our customers is our greatest drive," she says, adding, "By the way, the name Tortenmarie comes from my daughter Celin-Marie."
Challenges in the Confectionery Trade
"The business is my baby. I have put so much heart and passion into building it and making it successful. But like any baby, there are challenges that need to be overcome. In the confectionery trade, we face some particular hurdles that need to be mastered." These include price developments, finding and retaining good employees, and the busy summer season.
Cindy Baugatz tries to be flexible and open to the needs of her employees and is currently looking for a service staff member. Her goal is to run the business as it is and possibly deliver to more customers. However, the production of cakes and pastries is more labor-intensive than that of bread rolls.
To recharge, Cindy takes two weeks off in January and occasionally a day here and there. Her daughter occasionally helps out, labels boards, maintains the website, and creates flyers for the shop window. "It is important that we work together as a team and remain flexible to meet the daily challenges," says the entrepreneur.
Cindy's Secret Recipe for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Cindy's advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is: "It is crucial to persevere in the first two years, especially if you are convinced of your business idea. This initial period is often the most difficult but also the most important. Continuously delivering high quality is essential to build trust and reliability with customers. Only in this way can you be successful in the long term and gain a loyal customer base."
Contact:
Tortenmarie
Cindy Baugatz
Alter Landweg 41
17258 Feldberger Seenlandschaft
Tel. 039831 - 22 4 62
e-mail: info@tortenmarie.de
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