It all started in the spring of 2001, during my senior year of high school. For my final project, I designed my dream restaurant—from the business plan and menu to preparing food at the presentation. The entrees were good, but it was the desserts that stole the show. Friends kept asking for more, so I designed a simple website with just two items. One order turned into ten, and before I knew it, I was building a 600+ item menu and baking nonstop out of my tiny kitchen in the projects.

Needing more space, I moved into a commercial kitchen in Long Island City. I juggled college, a full-time job in advertising, and late-night subway rides with a backpack full of flour, eggs, and baking tools. I eventually earned a degree in Hospitality Management. Any free time I had left, I’d put together a bag of samples—throw on a dress—and stand on city corners handing out free samples to anyone willing (or not). I got my fair share of weird looks and rude comments, but also met some very kind people who offered to spread the word. One cookie at a time, right?

This led to the launch of a six-month sampling campaign. Calls started coming in from offices and businesses that wanted to try my menu. I’d bake a box and show up—ready to pitch. My client list kept growing, and it wasn’t long before the shared kitchen just wasn’t cutting it. I knew it was time for a space to call my own.

In 2007, I opened my first brick-and-mortar in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn—just 300 square feet of coziness with room for a small oven and a counter. I started building a loyal local following, but quickly realized most of my city clients weren’t willing to make the trip. I stayed hopeful—offering free deliveries into Manhattan for as long as I could—but it wasn’t enough. I knew I needed to get back into the city.

So I started hunting for a space—weeks of meetings with realtors and landlords—and nothing felt quite right. Then I found it: a beat-up little storefront, covered in graffiti and begging for love. Something about it clicked. I knew it was going to be mine.

In 2011, after a long build-out full of delays and heartache, I opened the doors to Ivy Bakery in SoHo. And just like that—I was home again. It was my dream space—rustic decor, handmade furniture, late-night dessert service, baking classes, and live music. It wasn’t just a bakery—it was a whole vibe.

But in 2014, after Hurricane Sandy hit, we just couldn’t bounce back. It was heartbreaking, but I had to say goodbye. We threw a big farewell party, packed up the mixers, and closed the doors. That same year, we popped back up in Park Slope—inside Root Hill Cafe—and shifted gears, focusing more on custom events, baking classes, and catering.

Burnt out and needing a change of scenery, I moved across the country in 2015 and landed in Arizona. It wasn’t long before the itch to bake returned—and I found myself at the local farmers’ market slinging cookies and connecting with a whole new crowd.

Then in 2021, I made another big leap—this time, to Las Vegas. I opened a new spot just north of the Strip, near the Stratosphere… yes, during the pandemic (I know, crazy). Not long after I signed the paperwork, I found out I had a little sweet bun of my own in the oven. I opened shop and kept baking through the pregnancy—right up until my son was born. When baby number two came along, I made the tough decision to close up this location and focus on my family.

But the truth is—baking is part of who I am. I can’t stay away for too long. Now, with my family close, I’m back to baking from home—taking custom orders and building a new client base. Ivy Bakery has come full circle—still small-batch, still scratch-made, and still from the heart.

So here we are in 2025—24 years later, older, wiser, still at it—proof that some loves never fade.