How Dessert Gallery Bakes Love Into Everything They Do

Sara Brook is the Founder and CEO of the Dessert Gallery Bakery and Cafe, an establishment serving old-fashioned cakes, cookies, and other popular pastries. Though Sara has been baking since the age of four, she didn’t take the traditional chef’s path. She graduated from college and began pursuing law before following her passion to open a bakery. Sara launched her first dessert business at age 21. Since then, she’s opened and sold two baking startups before founding the Dessert Gallery. The eatery has won several awards, including the Houston Press Readers’ Choice: Best Dessert, 2019 and 2020. After celebrating 28 years, a second location is set to open in December 2023.

In this episode…

Setting yourself apart from your competition is a skill in itself. How can bakery owners differentiate themselves in a saturated market?

For Sara Brook, a seasoned bakery entrepreneur, the key to her success is staying true to what she knows and embracing traditional desserts. Sara explains old-fashioned, homemade baked goods always remain in style. Like her love for baking, Sara applies the same nurturing to the relationships she builds with her staff. It’s also the secret to retaining employees. Rather than seek specific job skills, Sara hires based on people’s personalities. The love she shares with her team translates into her customer rapport, a loyal base who have produced a new generation of patrons. 

In this episode of the Celebrity Gourmet Podcast with Odette D’Aniello, Sara Brook, Founder and CEO of Dessert Gallery Bakery and Cafe, discusses her longevity in the baking industry. Sara talks about starting a business without experience, her hiring strategy, and how the pandemic impacted her business model — a revelation that motivated her to open a new location.