Austin
Sweet Tooth
A look into the Austin dessert scene
TRUCK OR TREAT
Food trucks are dominating Austin’s streets and parks, but what is it like to run one?
pg. 14
KEEP AUSTIN COOL What makes owning an ice cream store in austin different from anywhere else in the world.
pg. 8
BAKERY BUSINESS
Working in a bakery is pretty tough. But how hard is it really?
pg. 42
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From Us to You Dear reader,
What an incredible time we have had creating this magazine for you. At the beginning of the semester, we were just a couple of random people who were forced to come together and create something good. And we’re so proud to say that we believe we made something truly great. We’re so grateful for all the incredible people we were able to meet throughout this entire process, from sources, to teachers, to the amazing people who worked hard enough to make this magazine a reality. When you read this, we hope you can see all the work that went into it. We hope you can see the friendships that are now woven into these articles. The inside jokes, the time spent together- they all came together to create what you know as “Austin Sweet Tooth”. Sincerely,
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Find out about some of the best local ice cream shops!
An in-depth look at two boba shops in Austin
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Experience the world of Austin candy shops!
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Contributors ASHER LEE
Asher loves candy and going to various candy shops to see what they’re all about. He enoys playing sports and hanging out with his friends in his free time. This is his first time contributing to a magazine, but hopes to have many more contributions later.
CRYSTAL ZHOU
Crystal Zhou loves playing tennis, playing the cello, and is often seen eating ice cream at home (because she can’t bake) and proudly announces that she eats at least one ice cream bar a day. She is intrigued by baking and would like to learn, but can’t seem to find the time.
AVA MCGUIRE
Ava has always enjoyed baking for her family and friends, especially recipes that include cinnamon. When she’s not doing homework or catching up on sleep, you can find her reading, playing with her dog, Leo, taking photos, or hanging out with her friends. She is very grateful for the chance to have an excuse to go to local Austin food trucks and eat churros and sno-cones.
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AMY HUANG
Chuck or Amy Huang likes drawing, singing, eating food, and playing video games. She wants to adopt 10 cats and dogs in the future, but currently lives in a house where neither is possible. She has a pet snake named Spots who has a temporary home in the reptile room.
MADELINE SWEANY
When Madeline is not dancing, she can be found binge watching Netflix, listening to her favorite music, or trying (and sometimes failing) to bake a new dessert for herself, her friends, and family. But she’s only set the oven on fire once, so she’s doing fine. Her favorite color is lavender and she loves dogs. The only thing keeping her going is the promise of the holidays.
MAKENZIE WALLACE
Makenzie Wallace loves to find new recipes for any kinds of baked desserts, especially cakes, pies and cookies. She loves playing the trumpet in the LASA marching band and hopes to continue playing in the future.
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The Scoop
Everything you need to know about local Austin ice cream By Madeline Sweany | Austin Sweet Tooth
America produces the most ice cream in the world. And for good reason. It is the must have at any celebration, it is the cure for broken hearts everywhere. And Austin, Texas makes their ice cream just as special as their city. Austin is known for its musical culture and festival life, hosting hundreds of festivals every year. “This city was founded by artists and this creative vibe that started back in the day has snowballed into what Austin is today,” says Leslie Walck, manager of the Burnet location for Amy’s Ice Cream. Tim Joyner, Co Founder of Austin Scoops also goes into detail about what living in Austin means to him. “We have always been called weirdos and I feel that that in a way are all special and unique.” Joyner said. “There’s nowhere else I’d want to live. I’ll live here, I’ll retire here, I’ll stay here. This is my place. These are my people.”
Joyner also talks about what it’s like preparing for a major Austin festival and how the community comes together to help. “When we work at these major festivals we make ourselves look really big. But if you look at all the details you would find out that that’s a former employe, that’s their mom, that’s their brother, that’s someone’s cousin. I have a whole list of kids that my kids grew up with who all come and help us for this sort if thing,” he says.
This shows one of Amy’s Ice Cream’s many downtown Austin locations. Photo by Madeline Sweany
The Austin Scoops delivery is able to deliver ice cream all over Austin. Photo courtesy of Austin Scoops
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“There’s nowhere else I’d want to live. I’ll live here, I’ll retire here, I’ll stay here. This is my place. These are my people.”
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Anthony Sobotik, co-owner of Lick Honest Ice Creams, chooses the festivals he works for very carefully. “We try to only do festivals that in some way benefit a local organization or charity,” Sobotik says. They have worked at the Children’s Picnic and the Pride Family Picnic. And Lick isn’t the only one who uses ice cream for a good cause. Austin Scoops uses their popularity to help donate to the schools. “Every year we take a couple of the local elementary schools and we put it in their auction to create a flavor at Austin scoops. It earns a lot of money for the schools at the auction and then a lot of people get to come out and try a flavor that was created by some 10 year old kid,” Joyner says. Ice cream has been a part of people’s lives all the way back to before the 16th century, and the sweet treat has always been the perfect opportunity for making memories. “My eyes were always bigger than my stomach and my parents would tell me only order what you can eat or I will have to pay for it myself. Of course I would order something huge and make myself sick trying to finish it so I wouldn’t have to pay for it!” says Corey Sorensen, co-owner of Cow Tipping Creamery. And ice cream will continue to make memories for years to come. “Ice cream can be used in any life event,” says Ms Walck. “If you’re sad, you go get ice cream and it makes you feel better. If you’re celebrating, you’ll go get ice cream. If you’re happy- ice cream. If you’re hanging out with your friendsice cream.” These sources have worked tirelessly to insure that Austin Ice cream is unique to their city alone. From charities to making childhood memories that last a lifetime, these local shop owners help to ensure that Austin ice cream will remain the best in town.
The photo below is an advertisement for another of Lick Honest Ice Cream’s all natural flavors. Photo courtesy of Lick Honest Ice Cream.
The photo below shows one of Cow Tipping Creamery many unique soft serve creations. Photo courtesy of Cow Tipping Creamery
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The History Of Though there is no record of one person creating ice cream, it was common for Nero Claudius Caesar, a Roman Emperor, to send servants into the mountains to gather snow which he would then flavor with fruit juice and honey.
Ice Cream
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This is the first time ice cream was made available to the general public. Sicilian Procopio, a prominent italian chef, finalized the recipe of milk, cream, butter, and eggs.
1660
16th Century
1777
Marco Polo brought back a recipe that closely resembled sherbert to Italy. Historians believe that this is what evolved into into cream. This new dessert was regularly found on the tables of royals such as Catherine de Medici, wife to the king of France.
This marks the day ice cream was first advertised in America by the New York Gazette. It was a huge hit, and it was even recorded that George Washington spent almost $200 on the delicacy during the summer of 1790.
The ice cream cone was created by Ernest A. Hamwi at the St. Louis World’s Fair. He was selling a sweet, waffle like pastry next to an ice cream vendor. The ice cream was so popular the vendor ran out of dishes, so Hamwi rolled his pastries into a cone for the other vendor to use instead. Thus, the ice cream cone was born.
The first insulated ice cream stores were invented, allowing ice cream to be available to the public.
1800
1904
1874
The ice cream sunday was invented because people would eat the ‘sinfully’ good ice cream after church. The name was then changed to sundae to remove any connection to religion.
2017
Now that ice cream has become such a staple in everyday life, people are starting to experiment. From charcoal ice cream to sherbert in fish waffle cones, the world of our favorite summer treat is about to change forever.
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1. A customer decides what to order from the adventerous menu at Churro Co. The menu consists of items like the Texas Comfort, topped with caramel, vanilla ice cream, and apple pie filling, and the Campfire, a modern twist on s’mores with Mexican chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and torched marshmallows. Photo by Ava McGuire 2. Outside Sno-Beach’s memorable truck, complete with purple sno-cone. The truck, with two locations in Austin, serves 68 flavors, including toppings like cream and sugar-free alternatives. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Newsom
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t is hard to cook in a kitchen that barely fits three people. Those who have might tell you of all the times they gave up and ordered a pizza. But these Austin food truck owners have done it all; they cook, clean, and sell their products in a food trailer. This does not leave a lot of room for error, and ordering take-out is not an option when you run a business. Despite these obstacles, food trucks and trailers are becoming increasingly popular in Austin, a city with a big appetite but not as much square footage. Food trucks, once a relatively new trend, can be found all around Austin, with more than four food trucks per 100,000 residents, selling anything from ice cream to empanadas. Austinites with a craving for sweets will not be disappointed by the selection the city has to offer. Food trucks or trailers offer a wide variety of creative desserts,
like enormous cupcakes from South Congress’ Hey Cupcake! to the large menu of flavors at SnoBeach. Although these trailers make food accessible for lots of people, it brings its own difficulties for owners. “When you’re working in a food truck, your number one limitation is space, of course. It affects everything, for example, the way we buy our products, we can’t buy them in huge quantities, or store large products, which means that we prep on a daily basis,” says co-owner of Churro Co., a popular food truck, David Martinez. In addition to spatial obstacles, Austin’s growth has caused trouble for these semimobile businesses. “Austin was growing so much and the roads had become so much more congested, that it became more difficult to distribute products to all those locations, you know, sometimes twice a day,”
says Frank Drew, owner of Hey Cupcake!, one of which is located on a busy street, South Congress Ave. However, some owners believe that these restrictions can also have an upside, and can keep their business motivated and efficient. “It allows us to have a very tight-knit operation, again, keeping things very simple, and at the same time, it doesn’t allow us to, to a certain extent, get lazy because we know that we have to be thinking three or four steps ahead,” says Martinez. Austin has more than 4,000 food trucks in the entire city, and this number has increased 600% since 2010. “The food trailer scene in Austin has kind of exploded over the years and at Sno-Beach we claim to be one of the first, [be] cause we have been around since 1993, which is a really long time,” says Elizabeth Newsom, owner of
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the long-standing Sno-Beach. And while these trailers can now be found from California to New York, Austin has been a supporter from the beginning, making it a hub for these type of businesses. “Austin has embraced food trucks early on. Austin has historically had a very food truck friendly environment,” says Drew. Austin’s popular tourist attractions play a large part in food trucks’ business, and help them to spread their influence. “The more tourists who come through and go by our South Congress and Barton Springs trailers especially, the social media presence we get, the more tourists exposure we get, and that’s very good for us,” says Drew. But it is not only real estate and tourism that make Austin a food truck hub: some people, like Martinez, think there is something about the city’s energy that make it special. His company, Churro Co, which he owns with his childhood friend, Leo Mendoza, sells traditional Mexican churros with a twist, that is inspired by street food
from when he was growing up in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. “We thought that would be a perfect incubator for what we wanted to do ... I’m not sure that our concept could work in another city, just because other cities are a lot more close-minded, or don’t give newcomers as much opportunity as Austin does,” says Martinez Austin’s reputation as an openminded city allows companies like
1. At Hey Cupcake!’s popular South Congress trailer, customers can pick from nine classic flavors, as well as seasonal favorites, like the 2017 fall’s Pumpkinator. Photo courtesy of Frank M. Drew 2. During the hot Austin summers, citizens and tourists alike flock to hotspots like Sno-Beach to get out of the heat. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Newsom 3. Kids and adults alike enjoy their churros at Churro Co.’s outdoor eating area. The trailer is conveniently located on East Riverside Drive, so customers can walk to the river. Photo by Ava McGuire
another city, I may not be as eager and ready to do things like that,” says Hey Cupcake!’s owner, Drew. From programs like Go
“I’m not sure that our concept would work in another city, just because other cities are a lot more close-minded” Hey Cupcake! To sell products like their rainbow Pride Cupcakes. “I feel safe in Austin to take, to be whimsical, to embrace diversity, to take risks culturally, and you know, I think if I were in
Local Austin, which supports over 500 local businesses, to Austin’s unofficial motto, “Keep Austin Weird”, Austin has lots of people and programs to support the
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businesses that make it unique. “I think the whole city of Austin is just really big on supporting local businesses, and people are really loyal once they find a product or a restaurant, or something they like. They continue to go back and tell their friends and bring their friends. I think Austin just takes a lot of pride in things that are from Austin, and wanting to support them,” says Newsom. This support is essential to local businesses, especially those that do not spend money on things like TV advertisements or PR firms. “The number one marketing success factor is word of mouth. That’s very important to us because it tells us number one that our product is causing an impact enough for people to talk about it, which I think is the biggest compliment to us,” says Martinez. This support allows companies to keep quality high, and to keep prices accessible.
“We want to keep things simple, but we want to do something simple that’s really well executed. I think that’s what we’re going for. We want to keep it very accessible, very friendly, very open, but at the same time, what we’re doing, we want to make sure we’re doing the best,” says Martinez. Accessibility is also important for Hey Cupcake! owner, Drew. “My vision has always been about accessibility. We’ve got a great product, it’s made of real ingredients, it’s made with love and a lot of effort, and bakers starting at 4 a.m. you know. And it’s a fun brand. So for me, accessibility to the product has been my guiding principal,” says Drew, “There’s a contrasting business model, which is make your product totally exclusive. So exclusivity drives prestige and intrigue, exclusivity allows you to charge higher prices. It builds mystique, and that’s fine, [but] I want as many little kids,
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and as many parents, and as many people having fun and indulging to have access to our product as possible.” For Austin natives like Newsom, keeping traditions alive is vital to the integrity of the business. “Growing up in Austin, and growing up coming to SnoBeach has made me, I guess kind of treasure how it’s always been run, and we’re pretty old school, nothing high tech or nothing fancy,” says Newsom. These food trucks are now an essential part of Austin’s culinary community. They have helped it to evolve as well as keeping the traditions that make the city so unique. Whether an owner opens a trailer as a jumping off point to a restaurant, or simply to keep their products accessible, they create interesting new ways for anyone to explore their sweet tooth in Austin.
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Gourdough’s
1503 South 1st Street With three different locations in Austin, Gourdough’s is a local favorite. The adventerous menu includes items like The Flying Pig, with maple syrup icing, and the Mother Clucker, topped with honey butter and a fried chicken strip. If you’ve got a big appetite and a bold sweet tooth, Gourdough’s is the place for you.
Holy Cacao
1311 South 1st Street Also on South 1st Street, Holy Cacao is the perfect truck to find everything from a whole menu of coffee to a variety of cake balls. This trailer calls itself “Divinely Delicious” and we think you’ll agree once you make your way over and try one of their many sweet desserts. If you’re a lover of hot chocolate, but can’t stand the Austin summer heat, be sure to try the nationally recognized frozen hot chocolate.
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Sno Beach
412 Sterzing Sreet Sno-Beach is an Austin institution, and describes itself as one of the city’s first food trailers, founded in 1993. Now boasting over 60 flavors, including sugar-free, the truck is a popular place to beat the heat during the summer. Stop by either of their locations or possibly at ACL next year! Try any flavor from Cherry to Horchata, and consider adding toppings like cream or caramel.
Bananarchy
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603 W. Live Oak Street Inspired by the popular show, Arrested Development, Bananarchy highlights a dessert that most wiuldn’t think of; frozen bananas. Take your pick from their specialty menu, and try something such as The Cookie Crumble, covered with Oreos and chocolate chip cookie crumbs. Or, make your own and pick from their selection ofdips and toppings, including vegan chocolate, peanut butter, cinnamon, and coconut.
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Hey Cupcake!
1511 South Congress Avenue The silver truck on South Congress, topped with a pink cupcake, is an easily recognizeable sight for most Austinites. But you can find Hey Cupcake!’s treats at any one of their three locations, order some for you and your friends, or have them cater to your party or event. Make sure to get a taste of the red velvet or the tuxedo, and watch out for their specialty cupcakes.
Churro Co.
1620 East Riverside Drive Inspired by the Mexican street food of their hometown, Ciudad Juárex, Mexico, David Matinez and Leo Mendoza created Churro Co. The food truck, founded in 2014, serves traditional churros with cinnamon sugar and homemade chocolate saue, along with versions such as co-owner David Martinez’s personal favorite, the Texas Comfort. This churro is topped with freshly made apple pie, salted caramel, and whipped cream.
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The sight that greets you as soon as you step foot inside Mango 8, the vibrant colors and bright lights, the sound of people and machines perfuming the air
An In-Depth Look at the Austin Boba Scene By Amy Huang
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On a bustling Saturday morning, employees race to and fro behind a rainbow hued counter. Drinks are being poured, syrup being doused, an air of hustle and bustle fills the air. Just minutes away, on the edge of a small parking lot, with its windows plastered with multicolored posters and pictures and drawings adorning its walls, sits a small quaint cafe. Every once in awhile a family or two comes in, but otherwise it is the definition of peaceful. Even though these two places are within yards of 20 | Austin Sweet Tooth each other
they are worlds away from in terms of flavor, in terms of personality, in terms of style. What makes them both so unique, and yet so successful? Step into both of these shops and be swept away on a journey to faraway worlds. The journey starts with Mango 8, led by Danny Chen, the manager of Mango 8. The culinary adventure will go over mountains and through rivers, going around the world to countries and places filled with a rich history just waiting to be explored.
But first, starting with the basics: Drinks. “I travel a quite often with my family, and we love to try new dishes and drinks,” Danny says. “The places we travel inspire us with new drink ideas. By using what is available locally, whether in produce or new technology, it’s good to change things up and add new flare to a typical dish. In addition, our innovation in our drinks and snow ice keeps people coming back to try new things.” And their drinks and dishes are definitely something to talk about.
Mango
The places we travel inspire us with new drink ideas
From their lightbulb butterfly tea to their panda shaved ice, it’s one culinary adventure after another. “One of our unique flavors is our butterfly pea tea, which is a caffeine-free herbal tea that is rich in antioxidants, helps improve blood flow, boosts brain power and helps build strong immunity system” says Chen. But sometimes these drink ideas don’t work, and they have to draw the line. “Some drinks might seem like a great idea, but logistics can be challenging. So you have to take everything into consideration before introducing a new creation.” Danny says.
lhe Tea The Butterfly Lightbulb Tea served at Mango 8
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According to Chen, “Growing up with family in the restaurant business, it was always a dream to help manage a store.” Family is a very important part of the Mango 8 culture, from the way they treat their customers to the way they decide on their drinks. “ For most of our staff, it can be their first job experience. We strive to [create] a positive and fun energy work atmosphere. Because most of our staff are college students, it’s great place for them to network and make new friends.
satisfactory reviews on Yelp. Not only are they bad reviews, the reviews are usually vague, and don’t help them improve on their service. Now, before we talk about Kung Fu Tea, let us address an issue that overarches all of these cafes: the debate of authentic versus fusion. This issue One of the many different kinds of shaved ice available at Mango 8, prevails through all this is an adorable panda shaped shaved ice in waffle cone topped restaurants, but even more so in restaurants with oreos and sweetened condensed milk that specialize or take inspiration in dishes and drinks from around the world, such as these boba
We create a “family” atmosphere and encourage all staff members to support each other outside of Mango whether in academics or other personal interests” says Chen. Let us look at another aspect of running a cafe: the challenges. It may seem all cheerful and bubbly (no pun intended) on the surface, but it is not always sunshine and roses. According to Danny, one of the most challenging things about working in Mango 8 is trying to balance work with real life, since he has another job besides managing Mango 8. Another challenge, according to Danny, is that there are some customers that leave less than
cafes. “As a business person, you want to sell your products and make money.” Eris explained. “If staying authentic meaning less attractive, then you have to make adjustments.” And that’s definitely the view of many different restaurants, some whom are very popular. For example, take places like Panda Express or Taco Bell. They are not authentic, or as authentic as they could be, but they are very popular. However, there are many places that have different views. “[it’s] important to have both
Austin Sweet Tooth | 21
A wall of photos on the walls of Mango 8, displaying several signature shaved ices such as the Panda and the Taro shaved ices
authentic and something progressive.” Danny argues. “Authentic allows you to keep some of the tradition and history of the dishes.” But for now, let’s join Eris Tang in Kung Fu Tea. “Kung Fu Tea use real loose-leaf teas versus some boba shops use tea flavored syrups to make their teas taste stronger and to lower the cost,” Eris says. “We have Oolong, Black, and Green Tea, each tea has it’s own way of brewing. We make sure our bobas are fresh so we will replace the boba within 2-3 hours. Our freshness stands out.” However, it seems like
Kung Fu Tea is significantly less familyoriented than Mango 8, which is understandable since they are a much bigger chain than Mango 8. “The founders of Kung Fu Tea came up with this procedures,” Eris says. “ we just follow the instructions.” And this seems to happen a lot to restaurants or chains that are much bigger. They tend to be much more streamlined and professional, but this can also lead to them being a lot less personal and family oriented, and this can affect other areas. For example, customer service. Mango 8 is very friendly and relaxed with their staff,
and because of that they are automatically much more friendly and welcoming to their customers. But Kung fu tea seems to be another story. “We are still working on customer service,” Eris said. “It’s hard to make everyone happy so we have to find a balance. Last year, A couple who ordered iced Mocha thought that they could upgrade their coffee to slushes which is more expensive and takes a longer time to make. I didn’t think much, so I just say no. Later on, the man wrote a bad review on Yelp, and the woman wrote a bad one on Facebook or Google ( I don’t remember which).
I am still not sure if that was a good decision. At the moment, I was thinking, what if the others wanted to do the same thing? How was it fair to the others? It would be a chaos then. I think, sometimes you just have to be firm or people will think they can get whatever they want out of you.” Another problem for larger chains is that they are simply much more popular. This means they get more customers, and they are busier than a smaller chain like Mango 8. This can also prove problematic for customer service. “Sometimes we are short on staff
KungFu 22 | Austin Sweet Tooth
Tea
Sometimes you just have to be firm or people will think they can get whatever they want out of you
A menu showcasing different toppings at Kung Fu Tea
or it just gets really busy. The customer has to wait for… 20-30mins in order to get their drinks. Then they will start complaining and try to get some discounts or upgrade their drinks. This is still hard for us to handle. To make them happy, we would want to do that for them. However, what if we do it for one customer and the others start wanting the same thing? On the other hand, when it’s busy, it’s just busy. I don’t want to spoil the customer” Eris said.
On the left, a Kung Fu milk tea. In the middle, a Taro boba, and on the right the Kung Fu honey lemon green tea
Some other problems that they have has to do with the location they are in. “Since my employees are mainly UT students, they are usually gone by Spring Break or on holidays.” Eris tang said. “Then I will need to work overtime. It’s very hard to find full time employees at this location.” However, they can make adjustments to make the location an advantage, rather than a challenge. “We worked and are still working with student organizations on profit share events and sponsorships.” Eris explained.
“I think this is the best way to spread words around.” But despite the challenges and the differences, these cafes still have one thing in common: Their love of boba. They both strive to create a positive, joy-filled atmosphere where people can gather and share a drink, or a sweet dish. People of all ages and backgrounds can come in and forget about their worries for a little bit around a table, surrounded by good vibes and bright colors.
The store front of the Kung Fu Tea on Research Blvd near UT Austin Austin Sweet Tooth | 23
Libra
You are Mocha Bubble Tea! Soft and gentle on the tongue, a perfect harmony of flavors, this tea is perfect for you!
Virgo
Aries
You are Lychee Bubble Tea! Just like the fruit, you are small and a little challenging to deal with, but you’re a lot of fun!
Gemini
You are Lavender Bubble Tea. Just like the flower, you are mellow and sweet, avoiding the spotlight and prefering to remain in the backdrop. But this time, you are the artwork!
You are Pineapple Bubble Tea! Sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, you’re different for every person. Come and experience this adventurous flavor!
Pisces
Aquarius
You are Taro Bubble Tea. Just like the root, you’re simple and grounded, not too sweet or sour.
You are Peach Bubble Tea! You are sweet and affectionate, a treat for anyone around you. This fruity tea is perfect for you!
Leo
You are Passionfruit Bubble Tea! You are warm and sweet, yet unique and bursting with passion!
Taurus
You are Avocado Bubble Tea! You are practical and reliable, not anything too crazy, and yet for some people you are an adventure. Just like this unique flavor!
Capricorn
You are Cantaloupe Bubble Tea. You are resourcefull and practical, and even though you may have a hard shell, you’re sweet as can be!
Scorpio
You are Honeydew Bubble Tea! Balanced and mild, yet daring and ambitious, this popular flavor is perfect for you!
Sagittarius
You are Green Apple Bubble Tea! You are bold and daring, always ready for adventure. Give this tea a try to satisfy your adventurous taste buds!
By Amy Huang
You are Rose Tea! You are sentimental and romantic, sensual and sweet. Just like the flower, you perfume the whole room with your personality!
What’s Your Boba?
Cancer
The Candy of my Eye
A captivating culinary story by Asher Lee about candy
Children cluster around a newlyopened section of saltwater taffies in a candy shop, while the owner watches behind the counter nearby. She smiles while she watches how excited the kids are about the new batch of pralines that have been added to the store. She has gone through the challenges of life and come out on top, working at a successful candy shop. The ownership of Lammes Candies has been passed down from generation to generation in the Lamme family since 1885, and Pam Teich has been working at the plant since she was a child. Now, she co-owns Lammes Candies with her brother, Bryan Teich and sister, Lana Schmidt, content with how her life has shaped out.
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Many other candy store owners have success stories like that one. These owners around Texas all walk their own paths and have gone through personal struggles to get to where they are today, doing what they love to do. Some people believe that working at a candy shop is boring, but it isn’t true at all. “It’s a fun business, we aren’t selling widgets or nontangibles, candy is FUN,” Teich said. Although making and selling candy looks as if it is an easy business, it actually takes a lot of work and effort. Not only does a lot of preparation and ingenuity have to go into it, but the ability to get along with people is key. “I think the most challenging thing about working anywhere is learning how to work with people.
Each person is different in their ethics as well as what motivates them. Making candy is the easy part [but] putting together a team of people who flourish together is much more difficult,” Teich said. The difficulties of working a candy shop is evident, but working at these stores have benefits. For example, the customers. Cole McLean, a customer at Big Top Candy Shop (one of the most popular candy stores in Austin), says that going to candy shops are the best. McLean absolutely loves going to Big Top, which gives owners like Teich motivation to keep pushing on with her business.
“I always tell people that the best part of working at Lammes is the people I get to work with every day as well as our wonderful customers - and great candy doesn’t hurt!” Pam said. People from all different ages, like Isaac Villanueva, love eating candy. “Coming here makes me feel like I’m 8 years old again, just excited to eat candy,” Villanueva, a regular at Sweet Shack Candy Shop said. Mclean had a similar thought, although his was that “You can never have too much candy!” It is not to be ignored, however, the thought that goes into the selection of the candy that is sold at these stores.
“It’s a fun business, we aren’t selling widgets or non-tangibles, candy is FUN.”
Owners like Teich have to decide what candies they should distribute. “We offer the most exquisite selection of chocolates as well as the gummy or sour candies that the younger kids like – variety,” Teich said. Working at a candy shop does have its sad moments, no matter how cheery everything in the shop may seem. “I think the saddest moment was when our long time employee and friend, Mildred Walston was forced to retire,” Pam said. Mildred started working at Lammes when she was 16-years-old and was forced to retire at the age of 92, due to her losing her sight.
According to Teich, Lammes Candies considers Mildred their matriarch, and she stills makes appearances whenever she can at the store. “Mildred is a true ‘family’ member,” Pam said, “even though she was not a blood relative.” It turns out that working at candy stores lead to long lasting relationships and close bonds. Multiple factors contribute to the successfulness of a candy store. A store like Lammes Candies has its own perks such as specialty candy, and gift boxes, ready to be gifted to others. McLean said that the candy itself is an important part of a candy store. Austin Sweet Tooth |
Saltwater taffy, as shown in the picture, is a very popular sweet in candy shops.
“I think that what makes a good candy shop is the type of candy, the amount of candy, and the service.” he said. Then included, “A big thing that I notice is that employees keep the shelves really well stocked. Very rarely do they run out of a type of candy.” On the other hand, Sweet Shack Candy has a section of their candy store dedicated to different types of root beers and sodas. They also have a jokebot, a robot that tells customers jokes. “It’s pretty neat and it’s definitely something that keeps people entertained,” Villanueva said.
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Service definitely plays a big role in what makes a candy store great. There are plenty of candy stores that have potential, but aren’t bursting with service simply due to a shortage of quality service. Teich attests to this, saying “We also offer the best customer service in a time where that is lacking most business,” when asked what makes Lammes Candies unique from other candy stores. Candy shops are places that all sorts of people come to to enjoy candy. It is also a place that somebody could go to if during a rough day.
This array of baked goods are sold along side candies.
“I think the most challenging thing about working anywhere is learning how to work with people.” Villanueva went through a bad period in his life, when he had to move schools as a teenager. “I felt utterly alone,” he said. Sweet Shack Candy Shop provided a solace for him. “I came here,” he added, “I bought a ton of candy, and ate my way through the pain. I had the robot tell me jokes. I tried most of the sodas. Soon, I forgot all about how bad of a day I was having. It was bliss, in the hell I was living in.” Villanueva said, smiling at the memory.
Working at a candy store doesn’t benefit the owner or customer, if there is no desire in it. Pam has only one thing to say about how you should choose and be successful in a line of work, it being “As with any profession or job, you better enjoy what you do and learn how to work with people and for people. No job in the world relies solely on technology to shield you from the duty you have to work with people!”
Austin Sweet Tooth |
Candy Creations Inside the history of popular candy. By: Asher Lee
The everyday saltwater taffy was created in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the 1880s by a candy store owner named David Bradley. It later became more popular because of another candy store owner, Joseph Fralinger who sold it as a Atlantic City special. After that, a candy maker named Enoch James improved the recipe further, and made it less sticky and into bite-size pieces.
After World War II, the Ce De Candy Co., Inc., made candy in a tablet style pill shape. In the 1970s, sugar prices spiked, so the company switched from Sucrose to Dextrose. In 2011, the Ce De Candy Co., Inc., changed their name to the Smarties Candy Company, which is what they’re known as today.
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There is much argument on when the common lollipop was created, but George Smith claimed to have created it in 1908 and trademarked the name in 1931. The evidence for this is that George Smith was making large boiled sweets mounted on sticks at the time. Smith says that the name itself, was based off of a popular racing horse at the time, named Lolly Pop. Skittles were first made commercially in Britain in 1974, but were imported to America in 1979 as an “imported” candy. There are many different types of Skittles available today including the Original, Wild Berry, Tropical, and Sour to name a few. Now, Skittles are produced by Wrigley Company, an extension of Mars Inc..
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The true inventor of ‘chocolate for eating’ is unknown, but history shows Joseph Fry found a way to mix materials to make the common chocolate bar in 1847. Henry Nestle and Daniel Peter created the more palatable milk chocolate later in 1875. In 1879, Rodolphe Lindt added cocoa butter to chocolate which helped it to hold its shape and melt on the tongue. Then, in 1900, the Hershey Company produced the first wrapped chocolate bar, which is the Hershey’s Bar still produced today.
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M&M’s were created by Forrest Mars Sr., son of Frank C. Mars (the founder of Mars company) in the 1930s, when he saw soldiers eating Smarties, a British hard panned chocalate candy. The two “M’s” stand for the names of Forrest Mars Sr., and Hershey Chocolate’s president William F.R. Murie. It gained more popularity during World War II.
In 1930, Mars Company introduced Snickers, which was named after the favorite horse of the Mars familly. The bar was sold in the UK and Ireland as “Marathons” until 1990, when Mars Co. decided to make the name Snickers global. Now, there are several Snickers products like Snickers mini, dark chocolate, ice cream bars, protein, extra caramel, and more.
The Everlasting Gobstoppers were sold under Nestle’s Willy Wonka Candy Company Brand and introduced in 1976 by Breaker Confections. However, the very first gobstopper originated in the United Kingdom about 80 years before. They were named after the Everlasting Gobstoppers in Roald Dahl’s children’s book, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
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An Ice Cream Daydream All about different kinds of ice cream companies in Austin! By Makenzie Wallace
Photo of Culver’s butterburgers and frozen custard entrance. Picture by Makenzie Wallace
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Photo of frozen yogurt machines at TCBY. Photo by Makenzie Wallace
“Custard is served in about 25 degrees. So it’s kind of warm for ice cream.” said franchise owner of Culver’s, Ed Fick.
the companies. However big the problems were, they have managed to make it through and become successful businesses.
Out of the more than 600 Culver’s in the restaurant chain, the Austin location owned by Fick, was franchise number 50. “We were at the very beginning. And I am improved as a franchisee and the franchise has improved as well,” Fick said.
Whether it is taking things personally, creating and managing a schedule, or opening up a restaurant, all ice cream companies have their own story.
According to Fick, Culver’s is constantly rated as one of the best franchises in the United States. Local ice cream shop owners including TCBY, Culver’s, and Sweet Ritual, each have a story to tell. They explain what it is like to manage an ice cream company in the Austin heat all year round. They share examples of initial growing pains including problems and conflicts being blamed on the owners or managers of
“Sometimes it’s easy to take things personally. I spend many, many hours on making the ice cream, so when someone writes on Yelp or in an email that they don’t like it, it is easy to get my feelings hurt,” Amelia Raley, co-owner of Sweet Ritual vegan ice cream, said. Although companies face challenges when opening, they also have happy moments.
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the younger employees at his franchise is one of the best things he gets to experience. “The happiest moment is working with the younger employees. Often times you’ve got people that it’s their first job and watching them grow and develop,” Fick said. Culver’s is a company where young people still in high school or college, will go to find a job. Vegan ice cream shops offer desserts that have no milk, eggs, gelatin, meat, or insects. “I served a man in his 40s a banana split, and he started crying. He was allergic to dairy and hadn’t eaten ice cream in 20 years! I knew then that Sweet Ritual was
Lane TCBY franchise, Brandon Hopkins, began his love of the frozen yogurt shop in his early childhood. “Our best moment was when we opened, but I would say our best moment is seeing families come in with their kids. I grew up coming to TCBY with my family, so seeing that daily is a reminder of really the reason why I decided to open a TCBY. It was just for that experience that I had Photo of acronyms of TCBY. Photo by growing up with my family Makenzie Wallace so it’s nice to see other people experiencing that,” said owner of the Slaughter Lane TCBY franchise, Brandon Hopkins. “We were the first [frozen yogurt shop] to do Greek yogurt, and the first to do almond milk yogurt. We partnered with Silk...and
“I knew then that Sweet Ritual was doing very important work in people’s lives.” doing very important work in people’s lives. We serve many children their first ice cream cones, and it’s always very cute to watch them discover that they can enjoy a cold, delicious treat,” Raley said. For company owners like Raley, the best reward is seeing the difference they make in other people’s lives. The owner of the Slaughter 34 | Austin Sweet Tooth
Photo of acronyms of TCBY. Photo by Makenzie Wallace
invented the first dairyfree, almond milk yogurt. And now, pretty much everybody else has almond milk as well, and coconut milk, which we also have,” Hopkins said. There is ice cream for everyone. Even those with dairy restrictions, eating on a diet, or not wanting to freeze their taste buds, Painting on door entrance of TCBY. Photo by somewhere in Austin they Makenzie Wallace will find a company that meets the standards.
Photo of fresh fruit toppings at TCBY. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, mangoes. Photo by Makenzie Wallace
Photo of entrance at TCBY frozen yogurt. Picture taken by Makenzie Wallace
Photo of wall and blinds at TCBY frozen yogurt. Photo taken by Makenzie Wallace
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| Austin Sweet Tooth
Austin Sweet Tooth |
Queen Bee of the Bakery What it’s like to be a key role in a bakery By: Crystal Zhou
Cupcake Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop. Photo credits to Crystal Zhou
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“The hours can be taxing, but even the late nights can still be fun when your coworkers are some of your best friends.”
Wedding Tiered Bundt
Have you ever thought of how hard working in a bakery is? Whether it’s being the boss of a chain in a franchise or the head of a family business or even just the cake artist of a bakery, playing a key role in any bakery has a number of challenges. Challenges faced by owners of a franchise chain are different from the challenges that owners of local shops endure. But the experiences that a cake artist meets are quite different from those faced by owners of bakeries. At Sweet Treets Bakery, their busiest time of the week are the weekends. The weekends are the wedding days where everyone delivers cakes, and cupcakes, and macaroons make sure they make it on time to avoid bridezilla. Although for the owner of Sugar Mama’s, a local bakery that won the Cupcake Wars, everyday is tiresome, waking up early in the morning and planning the menus or working on expanding the bakery to Cakes sent by Nothin’ Bundt Cakes. Photo by Nothin’ Bundt Cakes.
outside Austin. On the other hand, Nothing Bundt Cakes is a franchise chain, who’s famous for their thick frosting. For the owner of a bakery in a franchise, she looks over marketing and the employees.
Cactus cupcakes in Sweet Treets Bakery. Photo by Sweet Treets Bakery
Austin Sweet Tooth | 39
Many small chocolate chip bundtinis from Nothing Bundt Cakes. Photo by Nothin’ Bundt Cakes.
For someone who works late during the busy seasons to make sure that the woman of the day has food for the best day of her life, Julia Schmitz, a cake artist at Sweet Treets Bakery, says that “[even though] the hours can be taxing, but even the late nights can still be fun when your coworkers are some of your best friends.” Dealing with nervous and easily agitated people and Schmitz, herself being agitated, rushing around to be on time, at least her friends will be with her by the end of the day to maker her day better. While, for a new and successful start up company, the few first months or years are crucial and a piece of advice. Olivia O’Neal, owner of Sugar Mama’s, says that “it can be really challenging to make sure that you’re doing everything correctly and you’re doing right by the city, your staff, and yourself … then there are general challenges but you should be able to have the right people around you who can help you overcome those things.” These are the things that made her business successful. Having the right people by her side and having organization, she overcame these barriers and became a successful bakery. Nevertheless, for an owner of a branch of a franchise, Christy Herbstreit, owner of 2 bakeries in the Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise chain, says that even though “there are definitely some crazy times but it’s a very very fun business to be a part of.” All three of these people have key roles in a bakery. And even though they undergo different
types of situations, they all point toward the fact that, changing their attitude towards such a busy business and having good people around them is what made them successful. In a franchise, they make large amounts of products to make sure that they meet the needs of their many customers. Customers who are looking for cakes for a birthday, wedding, or even just a cake to fill a craving, a franchise will make a vast amount of one flavor to satisfy everyone. But they only have a few flavors so they can mass produce their flavors. And as Herbstreit, owner of 2 shops of the Nothing Bundt Cakes chain, put it,
Pink flowered cupcakes with pearls Photo by Sweet Treets
Elegant cakeballs served on a silver platter. Photo creidts by Sweet Treets
“if you’re traveling to California, we want you as a guest is to have the same experience no matter what bakery you go into. So you know the cakes you can get here, should be the same ten flavors you should be able to get in California.” But in a local shop that has a very large range of flavors, mass producing can be not only time consuming, but also very expensive and wasteful. O’Neal says that “we have so many different flavors I think we have 40 flavors and so we have you know everything from your basic flavors like chocolate and vanilla and you know red velvet as your basic flavor to things like the baklava…” with so many types of flavors they can only have a few out at a time and making sure that all of these flavors are out at some point of the week is also a challenge that Mrs. O’Neal must decide. There are tough times working in a bakery and there are differences between what Herbstreit, O’Neal, and Schmitz experience. But they all love this hectic business and love doing their job the most.
Beautiful wedding cake. Photo by Sweet Treets.
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Cakeballs! Do you like reading? Yes!
Nah. Is your desk organized or not? Not!
Ok I guess...
Organized What word describes you better?
Analytical
Free-spirited Urban
Cupcakes love to go on CRAZY adventures. And they never seem to say no to a challenge.
Miniature cakes, or cake balls, love dressing up but don’t like to stand out in a crowd and be the center of atention.
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Would you rather live in an urban or rural area? Rural
Cookies are warm and homey, neveleaving the comfort of their house, but reliable and are loyal as ever.
Rainy. Drip, dri
Not at all
What’s your favorite dessert? I love Pies!!
!
Cookies and cakes
Do you like staying inside or outside? Inside
Outside
Dogs or cats? Dogs
Cats
I don’t like pets Do you like change? Why not? Type of weather?
No
Sunny, warm
ip Any is fine Do you like attention?
Yeah
Elegant and fancy are the cakes. Cakes love to glow and stand out in a huge crowd. They’re usually the stars of the show.
Lively and simple. Looks good even when they don’t try. Brownies are the simplest of people and don’t ever listen to anyone else but themselves.
Pies, first of all, love actual pies. They love to stick to tradition and family time. They, next to cookies, are really reliable. They listen to all your rants and are the most patient of the desserts.
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Magazine Facts 1 serving per magazine
Serving Size
1 Magazine
Amount per serving
Incredible Articles
6 % Daily Value
Total Creativity 9g
23%
Great Ideas 6g
5%
Brain Storming 2g
1%
Determination 3g
7%
Teamwork 4g
3%
Work Ethic 7g
Mental Breakdown 5g
6%
17%
Meeting Deadlines 3g
12%
Perseverance 2g
9%
| Austin Sweet Tooth