Please Help Amanda in Opening New PTC Bakery

Please help Amanda in Opening New Peachtree Corners Bakery Karma Confections Most of you may know me and how passionate I am about my career as a Cake Decorator and Baker. For those of you who may not know me let me introduce myself. My name is Amanda and I am a Pastry Chef and Cake Artist located in Peachtree Corners Georgia. I am currently working on fulfilling one of my life time dreams of opening my own bakery called Karma Confections. I have been baking up and creating beautiful and delicious desserts for practically my entire life. After high school I did what most people in my generation were expected to do and I went to college to pursue a career in the medical field. However, I had some unfortunate situations arise and ended up not completing my degree. Some may say this was fate pushing me in another direction; I can say that’s some expensive fate. Instead I moved home and spent 4 years working in a hospital as a Laboratory Secretary while I soul searched for my calling in life. During those 4 years I worked with some wonderful people and sold them baked goods on the side. Through this, everyone told me I needed to go open my own bakery. At first I thought that was a crazy idea because I had seen several bakeries come and go in the small town that I grew up in. I didn’t want to embark on something that I wasn’t 100% prepared to do. So I came to the conclusion that if I was going to do this I wanted to do it right and I started looking into culinary schools. I ended up deciding on Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta Georgia. This was going to be a huge life move for me coming from the small town of Salem Ohio. But, I figured the weather would be way better and I would have more opportunities in the long run. I was right about both! I went to school and worked full time at a bakery in Midtown Atlanta. I sometimes think I learned more from that first bakery job than I did in culinary school and I am very grateful for that experience and those who I worked with and learned from. I learned a lot about speed and consistency in decorating cakes as well as baking in mass quantities. Things that will forever stick with me and help me succeed. By the time I was graduating I was ready for more responsibility and more challenges. I originally was applying for a management position at that bakery when I was approached about another opportunity. I was told that there was a cake decorator/kitchen manager position available at a little bakery in Peachtree Corners called Gigi’s Cupcakes. At first I was like “O no I want to do so much more than just cupcakes.” When I sat down with the manager he explained that they were looking to get into doing more cakes, weddings, and other events. I ended up accepting this position and it was one of the best decisions of my life. I have since spent the last 6 years working with a variety of amazing people and have learned and grown so much. We went from just doing simple cakes to some really creative and sometimes crazy ones! I worked my way up to the Store Manager and really have enjoyed running a team of people while still creating beautiful cakes and other desserts. My favorite part of all of this has been seeing our customer’s reactions to a cake that we have worked really hard on. Our customers and community are absolutely amazing. I have seen how great of a community Peachtree Corners is and have been truly touched when we needed help and how everyone has come out and supported us. Gigi’s Owner Deena has always been a great pillar of this community and we have been involved in many charitable events and donations over the past decade. I hope to continue to support some of the causes that were close to all of us. Unfortunately in March 2020 Covid-19 happened and like many we were hit hard and unable to get any government assistance. March-May tends to be our busiest months especially May so being closed that whole month was something that we simply could not come back from. Deena ended up making the very difficult decision to close the doors and not reopen. This was hard on all of us and I think we have all been through the grieving process over it. They say “When one door closes another one opens.” In closing Deena and her husband decided to gift me the kitchen equipment and supplies so that I could open my own bakery. I cannot even begin to express how thankful and grateful I am for them to give me this opportunity. I really want to show them that I can do this and be successful and really make the best of this opportunity. So here we are I have spent the last two months trying to get this going. With some help I have found a great new location not far from where Gigi’s was located, I have a vision for what I want to offer, and a look for the space to have. What I don’t have is the additional capital to put towards a Small Business Association Loan to make this vision happen. I was hoping to use the kitchen equipment as collateral but that seems to be easier said than done. The general costs for doing a build out in a new space would include several costly things such as; security deposits, reworking plumbing, putting in a grease trap, moving some walls, new kitchen safe flooring, running electrical for the equipment, getting licenses and permits, signage, and more. That’s just for the kitchen I would still need to set up the front end with new cases and counters. The time frame to do this is about 3 months. With this in mind I hope to be open sometime in September. Hopefully life is back to a point where we are at least able to have large gathering and celebrations again. All of this comes to about $160,000 and to qualify for a SBA Loan they request putting at least $45,000 down toward this. Unfortunately I don’t not have that stashed away anywhere. I wish I did then this wouldn’t be necessary. But I do like to think I have a good support system and community around me that would come together and help me raise this money so that I could continue with this dream and get it going to have it open sooner rather than later. So I’m asking for some help, from those past, present, and future who have helped me get to this point and whose lives have been made a little sweeter with a cake, cupcake, cookie or other dessert that I have made. I would really love to keep providing sweet treats and awesome cakes to those in and around the Atlanta area. I have made cakes for some amazing people and delivered weddings to some of the most beautiful venues. Please help me fulfill my dreams of opening my own bakery. People say it’s not really work when you love what you do and I truly do love what I do! I know Gigi’s will be greatly missed but I also know I can bring something even sweeter to the table if given the chance. In closing I ask for some “Good Karma” so I can open Karma Confections. Please help me share this request through Facebook, Instagram, Email and Text. Every little bit helps. You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram at @AmandaKarmazin for updates and hopefully an opening date! I hope to have the chance to make your days a little sweeter! Thank you so much for your donations and support! Amanda Karmazin