April 4, 2025 • 26 mins
A heartfelt journey from logistics to layers of dough, Maria Otto left a thriving corporate career to rediscover her joy in the kitchen. In this episode, she shares the emotional, practical, and often humorous twists that led to the creation of Little Pastry Shop in Bay City. From baking pies at a golf course to quitting her executive role to reconnect with her daughter, Maria’s story is about finding your way back to what matters most—flour, family, and faith in yourself.
Links:
Address: 401 Center Avenue, Bay City, MI 48708MapQuest+1Great Lakes Bay CVB+1
Phone: (989) 450-7956 Great Lakes Bay CVB+1MapQuest+1
Website: www.lpastryshop.com
Facebook: Little Pastry Shop Facebook Page
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Maria Otto (00:00):
So I went home, talked to my husband, and I said I have a prof.
(00:03):
I said, this is gonna soundstupid, because I feel like I have
the life that everybody wants.
I have a beautiful house,married, children, I am on
track to be an executive and.
And I said, but I'm just nothappy and I don't know what it is.
I think I gotta make some changes.
Cliff Duvernois (00:21):
Hello everyone.
Welcome back to Total Michigan, wherewe interview ordinary Michiganders
doing some pretty extraordinary things.
I'm your host Cliff DuVernois.
What happens when the dreamjob turns into a gilded cage?
When the corner office feelsmore like a sell than a triumph?
Today's story is about tradingprestige for peace, about walking
(00:41):
away from the corporate ladderthat once reached into the clouds.
But never reached into the heart.
Maria Otto had it all, A risingcareer in MBAA life, others envied.
But one summer between beach days andice cream cones with her daughter, Maria
realized that she was done chasing titles.
She wanted joy.
I.
She wanted flour on her handsand cinnamon in the air.
(01:03):
She wanted to build somethingsmall, something sweet, and
something that was deeply hers.
What drives someone to give upstability, to pursue passion?
And what can we learn fromsomeone who dares to follow the
whisper of a long forgotten dream?
To help us explore, this will beMaria Otto, owner of the Little
Pastry Shop located in Bay City.
Maria, how are you?
(01:24):
I'm doing great.
So why don't you tell us whatis the little pastry shop?
Maria Otto (01:28):
We are a boutique bakery, a small batch.
Everything is in small batches.
And we specialize in cinnamon rolls,petite scones and little pies.
Cliff Duvernois (01:38):
So that's three of my four food groups right there.
Perfect.
Maria Otto (01:41):
Perfect.
Yes.
Cliff Duvernois (01:42):
And now why don't you tell us where are you from?
Where did you grow up?
Maria Otto (01:45):
I actually grew up just north of Bay City in a little town Kawkawlin.
in a large family there's eight of us.
whoa.
We always had a lot of food and, uh,used to cooking for a lot of people.
Cliff Duvernois (01:56):
So now I gotta ask the question because obviously
this is your profession now.
Yes.
Were you in the kitchen with your momhelping to cook meals and that story.
Maria Otto (02:04):
My mom taught me everything.
she actually grew up in afamily I think of with 13 kids.
Okay.
I always lose count, but I believe itwas 13 and she always told me her and her
dad used to bake eight pies at a time.
And so she would alwaysbe baking in the kitchen.
It was just a part of what they did.
Right.
I was lucky enough that she'd help.
She'd let us help.
Cliff Duvernois (02:24):
oh, eight pies at a time.
Maria Otto (02:26):
Yes.
Cliff Duvernois (02:26):
Now.
So now I ask for her
Maria Otto (02:27):
family and she said they were eating in one day.
I gotta
Cliff Duvernois (02:30):
ask this question here because I'm envisioning like this little,
I know what I have a stove at home.
Yeah.
So did they have that little stoveat home as well or did they have
like a big, just a normal size,
Maria Otto (02:40):
but you know, if you've got a, a typical, uh, home.
Dove.
There's usually, two or rack ovens.
Two racks, yep.
Two racks, four pies on each track.
And that's, that works.
Cliff Duvernois (02:47):
Sweet Mo.
So for you being in the kitchen, solet me ask you this question here.
'cause I was a kid, I grewup, my mom was always cooking.
The last place I was was the kitchen.
So what was it about cooking thatbrought you and attracted you to it?
Maria Otto (03:03):
At my home where we grew up.
It was the kitchen wasthe center of the house.
So you walk in.
Ah,
Cliff Duvernois (03:09):
true.
Yep.
Yes.
Maria Otto (03:10):
Take your shoes off.
You're walking into thekitchen and on this side of
the kitchen's, the living room.
And then we had a family room on thisand the doors were always open and
everybody, even though there weretwo other spaces, that you could
sit in, everybody is in the kitchen.
And usually standing around thecounter seeing what's going on.
a couple people standing by the stove.
(03:32):
Stirring whatever we got going on there.
Offering
Cliff Duvernois (03:34):
to sample what it is you're making.
Yes, exactly.
Yep.
Maria Otto (03:36):
yeah, we were always just in the kitchen and I still am even at home.
I leave here and I'm in the kitchen.
It's an addiction.
Cliff Duvernois (03:44):
Oh, it certainly is.
Yes.
Now, as you're growing up, as part ofyour backstory here, which I read on your
website, so as you're growing up, you'rethinking about going off to college.
And initially you didn't.
Pursue Correct.
Like a culinary arts degree.
And you actually went in avery different direction.
Maria Otto (04:02):
Yes.
Cliff Duvernois (04:02):
Talk to us about that.
Maria Otto (04:03):
actually to take it back a little further, when I was about to
head off to college, I had no money,you know, and you need to pay for
books and tuition and, everything.
Housing?
Yes.
I was working at a golf courseand I asked them if I could sell
pies to make some extra money.
And the owner said Yes.
(04:23):
And so, oh, how nice is that?
Yeah.
And so it was perfect.
So I would bake pies, bringthem to the golf course and
sell 'em for 10 bucks a piece.
And it was just some extra income tohelp me before I went off to college.
Cliff Duvernois (04:34):
So you could do that to help pay for books Exactly.
And everything.
Oh, that's great.
Yeah.
And
Maria Otto (04:37):
so then I did go, off, to college I was telling everybody, I'm gonna
go back and I'm gonna open a bakery and.
And that was my goal.
Right?
Right.
Took entrepreneurship classes, dida couple things here and there.
Did idea pitch competitionsabout, I'm gonna open a bakery.
We are gonna sell only seasonal fromscratch items and this and this and that.
(04:57):
as I kept going, and I'll never forget,I was sitting in one of my logistics
classes, one day supply chain management,and the professor was looking around.
He goes, I see a lot of women inthis class, a lot of girls, if you
want a job right outta college.
You should go into logisticsbecause it's mostly men.
True.
And you are almost guaranteedto get a full-time job.
(05:19):
And for some reasons thatjust, clicked with me.
I should do that 'cause Ineed to make some money.
And so I ended up, after that I switchedmy major just from business to logistics.
It's amazing how in incre, howeasily you can be torn, turned
into a different direction.
Just from you got
Cliff Duvernois (05:36):
that right?
Yes.
Yes.
Yep.
And
Maria Otto (05:38):
so me being the, you know, low twenties that I
was Yeah, that's a good idea.
He is a professor.
I'm Melissa to him, so I changed my lives.
Nice.
Cliff Duvernois (05:44):
Paycheck, a career.
Yes.
Able to buy a
Maria Otto (05:46):
home then.
Cliff Duvernois (05:47):
Yep.
Maria Otto (05:48):
And sold my first job.
I worked at a three PL dispatching,truck drivers, giving 'em pickup
numbers, that kind of thing.
And I, I've always been oneof those people, I'm gonna
submerse myself into this.
I am going into logistics.
I love supply chain,love being in warehouses.
And I'm thinking back, wherethe heck did that come from?
I have no idea.
This doesn't even makesense, but I did it.
(06:10):
and then I, during that job as a three pl.
The owner of that company said,what have you always wanted to do?
And I said, I've alwayswanted to own a bakery.
And he said, ha, there's no money in that.
Don't do that.
And I thought, he's right.
There's no money in that.
Don't do that.
You know what I mean?
And so I didn't, A couple yearslater, we decided to move back
(06:31):
to Bay City, my husband and Ibecause I was gonna have a baby.
We're excited to have the babywanna be closer to my family
'cause we're all still very close.
And I had a job, opportunityfull-time at an automotive
company just south of Bay City.
Cliff Duvernois (06:45):
Boom.
Maria Otto (06:45):
So I thought, this is great.
everything works out,things are going well.
I'm gonna start doing automotive.
And so I did.
And while I was there they said, you'regood at, I think you'd be good at sales.
Can you do sales?
And I said, sure.
I don't really want to,but I think I'll do that.
And it's just, I didn't thinkabout it at the time, but people
tell you you're good at something.
(07:06):
Okay, yeah, I'll do that.
Oh, no problem.
And so I found myself on this path.
Yeah, I'll do that.
Okay.
Yeah, to get a promotion, take this joband get on this account and travel here.
Travel there.
Never home.
My last step in my career, I was apurchasing director and That's great.
Oh, wow.
Yes.
And it was, it was wonderful.
It was what I wanted, workingup the ladder, and all of this.
(07:30):
But there was one day that Ijust, I don't know what happened.
I literally was sitting atmy desk and I was, I said, I
don't wanna do this anymore.
I don't even know what life I'm living.
I don't know who I am.
I feel like it's the same thing every day.
the other things, you lose trackof the simple things in life.
(07:52):
I don't cook at all anymore.
I remember that was in my head.
We go out to eat every single day.
Every single day.
I don't remember the lasttime I baked anything.
And, which was weird for me becausebeing that I always wanted to open a
bakery, I was working on our cinnamonroll recipe years prior at home, trying
to make it bigger, bigger batches,perfecting this and that, and I
(08:13):
found myself we're not even, I home.
This is Ter, what dowe have this house for?
I'm not even living my life.
Cliff Duvernois (08:20):
It's basically a flop house.
Yes.
You just go there, sleep,get up the next day.
And that's did repeat the day.
That's
Maria Otto (08:24):
all we did.
And I wasn't evencomfortable in my home, home.
So it was a very, I don't wanna be here.
And that almost makes you work more too.
That makes you work more too.
Because I'm like, I don't wanna be home.
I, it just, something's not right,So I went home, talked to my
husband, and I said, I have a prof.
I said, this is gonna soundstupid, because I feel like I have
(08:44):
the life that everybody wants.
I have a beautiful house,married children, career and a
career that for kids I built.
You know what I mean?
Mm-hmm.
I went back and got my MBA, like, Iam on track to be an executive and.
That's what I always wanted.
And I said, but I'm just not happy.
And I don't know what it is.
I think I gotta make some changes.
Cliff Duvernois (09:03):
Yeah.
Maria Otto (09:04):
And he said, okay.
And we had talked before about yeah,we can, you know, we're flexible.
If you wanna do somethingdifferent, go for it.
And, uh, because he has
Cliff Duvernois (09:12):
a job in auto wove as well.
Yes.
Right?
Yes.
Mm-hmm.
Maria Otto (09:15):
And we always had that in common, you know,
it's what we talked about.
and even that gets a little,
Cliff Duvernois (09:18):
No wonder why you couldn't get away from, you go, you
go to work all day and then you comehome and that's what you talk about.
Yeah.
Yes.
Okay.
Maria Otto (09:24):
It was terrible.
Cliff Duvernois (09:25):
Yes,
Maria Otto (09:26):
Absolutely terrible.
so we said, I said, you know, I wentback to work, I think when Clara,
my daughter was six weeks old.
I didn't stay home I said,I feel like I missed out.
She's going into sixth grade,middle school, critical years.
I think I'm gonna take the summer off.
I think I'm taking a break.
I'm gonna take the summer off.
(09:47):
We went to the beach every dayand ate ice cream every day.
Gained some weight.
Cliff Duvernois (09:50):
Nice.
Maria Otto (09:52):
But anyways, we had the best summer.
I said, I'm, quitting myjob, taking the summer off.
I'm gonna actually spend timewith Clara ' cause I missed her.
You know?
Yes.
You don't even know your kids.
Somebody else is raising her.
Yep.
which I thought was great for, butnow I'm like, no, that's my kid.
I want her to be like me and theonly way she's gonna be like us
is if she knows us, And so, leftmy job, which was very difficult.
(10:15):
What a terrible, it took me a long time.
I got physically sick.
From quitting my job becauseyou, that's your life, or I know
you, at least it was my life.
It's a
Cliff Duvernois (10:25):
paycheck, Yes, yes.
I get it.
I get it.
Maria Otto (10:27):
I tell people, when you decide to quit your job.
You think it's gonna be, woo-hoo,I get to sleep in, I'm gonna
be, I'm gonna exercise, I'mgonna do all of these things.
And for me it was like, holy crap.
I went and got my MBA.
Like I went, I traveled, I did allof these things and took, classes
on all of this, Dale Carnegie andall of these things that led up to
(10:50):
me trying to grow professionally.
So I can't believe Ijust threw all that away.
And that was going through my mind.
Cliff Duvernois (10:57):
I can also see too, from your perspective there, I mean you made
this comment before you had a dream life
Maria Otto (11:05):
Yes.
Cliff Duvernois (11:05):
That many people would kill for and,
Maria Otto (11:08):
and people to this day probably say, Maria is stupid.
Cliff Duvernois (11:11):
yeah.
Well, or they're thinking ofthemselves, like, why not me?
You know why.
Right.
Why throw all that away?
It doesn't make any sense.
Maria Otto (11:19):
Yeah.
Cliff Duvernois (11:19):
But it was really, for you, it was.
It was a happiness factor.
Maria Otto (11:23):
Yes, exactly.
Internally happy.
It's incredible how youthink you want something and
it's, it's not what you want.
You know what I mean?
More simple, the better iswhat I've, I've learned for me.
Cliff Duvernois (11:35):
And then for, to, to go explore that a little bit further.
'cause when you were talking beforeabout how it was like a long process.
even that day, that first day,you're not working anymore.
I could imagine thatthere's a lot of anxiety.
Maria Otto (11:48):
Oh yeah.
Cliff Duvernois (11:49):
Because this is what your whole life has
become, and now it's not there.
It's gone.
Right.
It's, it's a, a big chunkof your life missing.
Maria Otto (11:55):
Yeah, it was incredibly tough.
and I was lucky to have supportfrom my family, that day that I
ended up leaving and I just, I quit.
I was at home in my living room andI heard a knock on our back patio.
And it was two of my brothers and mysister-in-laws with a case of beer
and they said, let's have a drink.
Cliff Duvernois (12:14):
Yeah.
And we just
Maria Otto (12:14):
sat on the back patio and just talked, you know what I mean about Yes.
Alright.
Next phase of life.
it's all good, you're gonnabe fine and this and that.
So I'm lucky to happen.
Cliff Duvernois (12:24):
Now at some point you broach the idea
about starting a pastry shop.
Maria Otto (12:32):
Yes.
Cliff Duvernois (12:33):
So talk to us about that.
Maria Otto (12:34):
So it was that summer hanging out with Clara.
I thought, I wanna get back to what Ithink that I have wanted to do all along
that I just didn't have the guts to do.
And just said, I'm sick of, doingwhat I'm supposed to do and I'm
just gonna do what I wanna do.
For me, I have, I have onekid, going into middle school.
She was going into sixth grade.
I'm not gonna sit home all day.
(12:55):
I, I'm a busy, I like, I don't likebeing busy, but I like having a purpose.
You know?
I wanna feel like I am doing something.
And I said, when she goes back to schoolin the fall, I'm gonna hit it hard.
I'm gonna start selling thisoutta my house and I'm gonna
start looking for a space.
Oh, this is beautiful.
Yes.
So it was cool.
It was like I post on myFacebook, Hey everybody, here's
(13:15):
my site and please support me.
You know what I mean?
I'm going off the cuff here.
My stuff tastes good.
Give it a try, and I knew Ididn't wanna stay outta my
home because it's not for me.
I have always wanted to, own a bakery.
And that is what I'm going to do.
So if I died tomorrow, what would I.
What would I do?
I would've said I should have done that.
(13:37):
And so it was awesome.
Cliff Duvernois (13:39):
It's interesting that, the influence that one person's comment
made all those years ago being railed.
Yeah.
Yes.
Maria Otto (13:47):
And that, and I would say everything worked out so perfectly
Cliff Duvernois (13:53):
when those doors open.
Maria Otto (13:54):
Yes.
Yeah.
Because the things that I learned,Supply chain management, purchasing.
I worked in finance for a little bit.
I worked in sales.
I have traveled the globe.
I know that our KY tastesexactly like the ones in Poland.
HR, I didn't work in HR.
But I had people that worked forme, so I had experience doing
that and all of these things.
(14:15):
Have helped me be successfulat owning my own bakery.
if I would have opened a bakery rightout of college, I wouldn't have been
prepared as I was, it was the right time.
Cliff Duvernois (14:26):
It's almost from what you're saying there, it was
like through your life journey,even though you weren't doing.
What you wanted or trulywanted to do, right?
Yeah.
You were picking up all of those skills,which is now making you successful.
Maria Otto (14:38):
Exactly.
And it was all necessary,to be successful.
So yeah, a lot of times youdon't understand why things are
happening to you in your life.
And then I.
Then you understand hindsight is2020 and I'm still, and then God
shows you the whole puzzle learning.
Exactly, yeah.
Everything falls into place it'sbeen incredible And some of these
things, um, that we do, our menusand all of that, it's just you
(15:01):
get an idea in your head and.
Let's run with it, you know?
So Cool.
That's beautiful.
Yeah.
Cliff Duvernois (15:05):
For our audience, we're gonna take a quick
break and thank our sponsors.
When we come back, we're gonnatalk to Bria a lot more about what
it took to get the, the littlepastry shop up and running, and
we will see you after the break.
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(15:27):
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Hello everyone.
Welcome back to Total Michigan, wherewe interview ordinary Michigan Anders
doing some pretty extraordinary things.
I am your host, Cliff DuVernois.
Today we're talking with MariaOtto, the owner of the Little
(15:49):
Pastry Shop located in Bay City.
Maria, before the break, we were talkingabout how you had decided that you were
gonna start cooking outta your home.
And because you really wanted tohave that home experience, you're
starting to chase something that you'vebeen passionate about or whatever.
Since you were a little girl, at whatpoint in time did you say to yourself,
I can't do this at home anymore.
(16:09):
I actually need a dedicated space.
I.
Maria Otto (16:12):
Pretty quickly.
oh, even
Cliff Duvernois (16:13):
better.
Maria Otto (16:14):
Yeah, I had a goal in mind.
I always wanted to own a shop, andI've never been one to stay at home.
And so I like people interaction.
I love having customers come in.
And so right away I started lookingfor a space, and I was lucky to
find, to find this so quickly.
Now,
Cliff Duvernois (16:30):
how did you come about finding this space?
'cause this is the city market,
Maria Otto (16:34):
right?
Cliff Duvernois (16:34):
Located in Bay City, right?
Yes.
So how did you find this place?
Maria Otto (16:37):
So it was, it was not, occupied with any other shops at the time.
Okay.
And, um, I was looking for a placethat had, ability to have a, a kitchen.
Which is difficult to find.
I also, I like this area, my familyand I come downtown Bay City all
the time, summertime for concertsand the restaurants and all of that.
Cliff Duvernois (16:55):
Yes.
And so I
Maria Otto (16:56):
wanted to be somewhere that I loved.
through some friends that had, youknow, some insight on what was available
around, they helped me find it.
Cliff Duvernois (17:05):
Now when you're talking before about this, 'cause this
is, this is like a whole other part ofthe equation when you're running some
kind of a food production business.
Yeah.
Like you're running pastries,we're talking refrigerators.
We're talking ovens, we'retalking all of this stuff.
Yes.
Now, did this space already have allof that, or is that something you
had to go out and scratch together?
The financing for?
Yeah.
Maria Otto (17:23):
Pretty much everything I ended up buying.
I'm by myself and with my dad.
My dad would help me, if we went toan estate sale, if a restaurant was
closing, Hey, a stainless steel table.
Oh, perfect.
That kind of stuff.
Yes, yes, we looked for that.
And then some stuff we did buy brand new.
but yeah, it's, it was a process.
And it, it didn't take as long aswhat I thought, but I think I just
knew the right people that kind ofknew other people that that helped me.
(17:47):
So, oh, this is
Cliff Duvernois (17:47):
great.
Yeah.
So now when you're talking before,'cause you mentioned this very early
on in the interview, where you weretinkering around with that perfect recipe.
Yeah.
For cinnamon rolls.
Okay.
So just let you know I'ma cinnamon roll snap.
So cool.
I'm gonna have at least five, but,uh, the rest of your menu that you're
coming up with, like the, the cookiesand you actually have real croissants
Maria Otto (18:09):
Yes.
Cliff Duvernois (18:10):
Over there.
How did this menu come about?
Maria Otto (18:12):
So we started pretty simple.
I.
With the cinnamon rolls and the scones.
And actually the scones were thefirst thing that I wanted to sell.
They're a little different.
They're smaller.
they're not as dry as atypical s scone, I would say.
Thank you.
I always said they're kind of American.
Yes.
but I, I started making them at homeand it was one of my older brothers
that said, you need to sell these.
(18:33):
These are so good.
Scones aren't as well known.
I would say cinnamon rollshave a more, uh, draw.
Correct.
So I started and then I was like,okay, I'll do my cinnamon rolls too.
And then little pies, just becauseme and my mom, together, that
was going back to the roots.
If you look at my business plan fromcollege, it was all about the pie.
I said, we're gonna do little piesbecause I grew up in a big family,
(18:53):
but my current family is justme, my husband, and my daughter.
And so we can't eat a whole pie.
It's gonna go old on the counter.
And there's nothing more disappointingthan wasting a good dessert.
Yes.
So the little pies are nice 'causethey don't go to waste ever.
And so those were our initialproducts that we started with.
the chocolate chip cookies are strictlyon the menu because my husband loves them.
(19:15):
He loves them.
Eat, was that them Everything thata condition of opening the place.
It was, you gotta have cookies.
He goes, if you're gonna opena bakery, you have to have a
good chocolate chip cookie.
Yeah.
Cliff Duvernois (19:22):
Um,
Maria Otto (19:22):
the recipe for the chocolate chip cookies, actually we started with
a recipe that I always use, right?
My daughter came in here,right after we opened.
It was summertime, andso she came and helped.
And she was helping make thecookie dough and she messed up.
And, uh, I said, well, what did you do?
And she goes, oh, I added this andI put more butter in by mistake.
And I did this.
And she was just like a mess.
(19:43):
And I said, well, shoot, let's go.
'cause we make big batches, right?
If you mess somethingup, it's a, it's sucks.
So we We baked thecookies and we tried 'em.
I se Clara, these are betterthan what I had before.
So on our menu, it's Clara's chocolatechip cookie because some of the best
mistakes are delicious, you know?
Yes.
It ended up being delicious.
So that is actually the cookie recipe.
(20:04):
The little punch, the little check bites.
We call 'em check bites.
Cliff Duvernois (20:08):
Mm-hmm.
Maria Otto (20:08):
Um, we took that from Tim Bits instead of that, it's check bites.
Ah, check is the last four,letters of my maiden name.
Oh, okay.
CZYK.
We're calling 'em check bites.
They're actually mini Ky.
My family is very polish and proud.
And so there we go.
Our family recipe on the Georchick side of my family, so
we sell those by the dozen.
but then the croissants, I just learnedhow to make them and they were delicious.
(20:32):
but we try to focus on, I.
At little pastry shop, we try to focuson smaller portions, for people who don't
have a bunch of people at home, maybe.
Or maybe it's just them.
And like I said, it feels, you alwaysfeel like, oh geez, I got this big
pie, or this big cinnamon roll, or,and ours are more like, you could, one
person can enjoy that and be happy.
(20:53):
doesn't, you don't have to feellike you're missing out because
you've got, no one with you.
That's kind of what we, that'swhy we sell Slice of Cake.
We have customers that come in twice aweek for one piece of cake for themselves.
And how wonderful is that?
I love that.
Cliff Duvernois (21:06):
Beautiful.
Yes.
You made a commentbefore Polish and proud.
Maria Otto (21:10):
Yes.
Cliff Duvernois (21:10):
So I gotta ask this question.
And if you attack me witha knife, that's okay.
So my mom was.
A stickler when it came tomaking her own pie crust.
Yes.
And she could tell by the feel,and we used half a can of Crisco.
Everything that's bad for you thesedays went into that pie crust.
Yeah.
And it was absolutely sublime.
(21:30):
You make your own pie crust,
Maria Otto (21:32):
correct.
From scratch.
Actually everything wemake is from scratch.
there is, and
Cliff Duvernois (21:37):
it's your recipe though?
Maria Otto (21:38):
Yes.
Me and my mom.
Cliff Duvernois (21:40):
Not from a box.
Maria Otto (21:40):
Correct.
Okay.
And you'd be surprised, I didn'trealize how many bakeries actually just
use a mix and they put it together.
Yeah.
and we don't, and sothat is why we are small.
Because that stuff takes time.
everything is in small batchesand we have some people come in
and say, is this what you have?
Yeah.
This is it.
You know what I mean?
Right.
'cause it takes time and we don'tsell anything day old and we don't
(22:02):
freeze anything and bring it back out.
It's, we sell out quite a bitbecause we make a certain amount
and when it's gone, it's gone.
But we're happy and confident knowingthat every customer who walks through
the door gets something fresh.
Cliff Duvernois (22:14):
I think a lot of people miss the fact that especially
when it comes to pies, one thingthat I learned is the pie crust is
just as important as the filling.
Maria Otto (22:21):
Oh, absolutely.
Cliff Duvernois (22:22):
You know?
Yes.
And I think a lot of people justgloss it over 'cause they go right.
For the filling and, and the, piecrust is almost like a slice of bread.
Maria Otto (22:29):
Yeah.
Cliff Duvernois (22:29):
just something to eat,
Maria Otto (22:30):
right?
Yeah.
Yep.
Exactly.
Cliff Duvernois (22:32):
So let's go back.
you've gotten the store, you were workingon getting the menu, you're getting the
equipment, the refrigerator, the stoveand everything else like into place.
Yes.
Why don't you talk to us about someof those early challenges about
getting this place up and running,
Maria Otto (22:43):
trying to figure out where to put things.
We're not a very large space and soa vertical height was our friend.
but yeah, the vibe, we painted the wallsbright purple, matched our logo and
people were like, you're gonna do purple?
Yes.
And it was kind of one of those thingslike, I'm doing whatever I wanna do now.
You know, like goingback, this is my space.
Yes.
I'm, you know, we're doing that.
(23:05):
It's bright, it's happy, and wewanted it to be open as possible.
And we wanted to see a little visibilityback into what we're doing there to
make sure people can see, we're workingon this, we've got fresh cookies
coming outta the oven right now.
you can't beat that.
Cliff Duvernois (23:19):
No, you can't.
I'm getting more hungry.
Maria Otto (23:21):
I know.
Yeah, you're gonna
Cliff Duvernois (23:22):
have to try.
one of the things that you've repeatedlymentioned throughout this interview,
and I want to take a couple minutesjust to explore it, and I have to
say it's actually quite beautiful.
Every step of the way.
You have had phenomenalfamily and friend support.
Huge.
Huge.
Yes.
(23:42):
And even like when you talked about onFacebook, I can imagine that Facebook
was a huge driver just to get peopleto start coming through your door.
'cause it's different whenyou know somebody could go
to your house or whatever.
It's to get something.
But now you're actually located at astorefront and have to drive downtown.
Yeah.
To be able to get it.
share with us a little bitabout your thoughts about
having that friend and family.
Maria Otto (24:02):
Thank God.
to have people really just comearound you and say, what do you need?
Let's make it happen.
And even, members of the communitythat come in, we will have customers.
Come in place their order.
Somebody comes in behind them and they'llsay, you have to have the cherry pie.
Try the cherry skull.
(24:24):
The brownies are to die for the
Cliff Duvernois (24:25):
customers are your best, best marketers.
They sell for us.
Yes.
And that
Maria Otto (24:28):
is so cool.
And we have made, we've been open foralmost two years now, and the regulars
that we already have established andhow friendly and, it's phenomenal.
just amazing.
Cliff Duvernois (24:39):
It's interesting when, when they can come through the door and
you just look at 'em and you're like,oh, you're here for your cinnamon roll.
Maria Otto (24:43):
Yeah.
our cashier, Trudy, she knows alot of people's orders by heart.
They walk in, they're like,cake slices, peanut butter.
This week she'll pull it out of the, andshe knows that he wants a slice of cake.
'cause he comes everyweek to get a new slice.
So beautiful.
Yeah.
Cliff Duvernois (24:57):
Maria, if somebody is coming here for the first time, what would
be something that you would recommend?
That they try?
Maria Otto (25:04):
The cinnamon rolls.
Cliff Duvernois (25:05):
Yeah.
Maria Otto (25:05):
And the cherry almond scones.
It was the first s scone that I evermade, and it was the one that my
brother said, these are phenomenal.
You gotta, you gotta sell these.
So,
Cliff Duvernois (25:14):
yeah.
Gig.
Yep.
And if somebody does want to come hereand they wanna check you out, they want
to try cinnamon roll or the, the cherryalmond scone, how can they do that?
Maria Otto (25:25):
We are located downtown, bay City on the corner of Center and Adams.
So you'll hear our building referredto as the city market building
or the Old Penny's Building.
So the address is 4 0 1Center Avenue, Bay City.
Cliff Duvernois (25:38):
And what's that?
What's your website?
Maria Otto (25:39):
our website is www.lpastryshop.com.
Cliff Duvernois (25:43):
Awesome.
Yep.
Maria, thank you so much fortaking time to chat with us today.
I really do appreciate it.
Maria Otto (25:48):
I appreciate you asking,
Cliff Duvernois (25:49):
and for audience, you can always roll on over to total michigan.com
and click on Maria's interview andget the links she mentioned above.
We'll see you next time when wetalk to another Michigan or doing
some pretty extraordinary things.
We'll see you then.
I.
So I went home, talked to my husband, and I said I have a prof.
(00:03):
I said, this is gonna soundstupid, because I feel like I have
the life that everybody wants.
I have a beautiful house,married, children, I am on
track to be an executive and.
And I said, but I'm just nothappy and I don't know what it is.
I think I gotta make some changes.
Cliff Duvernois (00:21):
Hello everyone.
Welcome back to Total Michigan, wherewe interview ordinary Michiganders
doing some pretty extraordinary things.
I'm your host Cliff DuVernois.
What happens when the dreamjob turns into a gilded cage?
When the corner office feelsmore like a sell than a triumph?
Today's story is about tradingprestige for peace, about walking
(00:41):
away from the corporate ladderthat once reached into the clouds.
But never reached into the heart.
Maria Otto had it all, A risingcareer in MBAA life, others envied.
But one summer between beach days andice cream cones with her daughter, Maria
realized that she was done chasing titles.
She wanted joy.
I.
She wanted flour on her handsand cinnamon in the air.
(01:03):
She wanted to build somethingsmall, something sweet, and
something that was deeply hers.
What drives someone to give upstability, to pursue passion?
And what can we learn fromsomeone who dares to follow the
whisper of a long forgotten dream?
To help us explore, this will beMaria Otto, owner of the Little
Pastry Shop located in Bay City.
Maria, how are you?
(01:24):
I'm doing great.
So why don't you tell us whatis the little pastry shop?
Maria Otto (01:28):
We are a boutique bakery, a small batch.
Everything is in small batches.
And we specialize in cinnamon rolls,petite scones and little pies.
Cliff Duvernois (01:38):
So that's three of my four food groups right there.
Perfect.
Maria Otto (01:41):
Perfect.
Yes.
Cliff Duvernois (01:42):
And now why don't you tell us where are you from?
Where did you grow up?
Maria Otto (01:45):
I actually grew up just north of Bay City in a little town Kawkawlin.
in a large family there's eight of us.
whoa.
We always had a lot of food and, uh,used to cooking for a lot of people.
Cliff Duvernois (01:56):
So now I gotta ask the question because obviously
this is your profession now.
Yes.
Were you in the kitchen with your momhelping to cook meals and that story.
Maria Otto (02:04):
My mom taught me everything.
she actually grew up in afamily I think of with 13 kids.
Okay.
I always lose count, but I believe itwas 13 and she always told me her and her
dad used to bake eight pies at a time.
And so she would alwaysbe baking in the kitchen.
It was just a part of what they did.
Right.
I was lucky enough that she'd help.
She'd let us help.
Cliff Duvernois (02:24):
oh, eight pies at a time.
Maria Otto (02:26):
Yes.
Cliff Duvernois (02:26):
Now.
So now I ask for her
Maria Otto (02:27):
family and she said they were eating in one day.
I gotta
Cliff Duvernois (02:30):
ask this question here because I'm envisioning like this little,
I know what I have a stove at home.
Yeah.
So did they have that little stoveat home as well or did they have
like a big, just a normal size,
Maria Otto (02:40):
but you know, if you've got a, a typical, uh, home.
Dove.
There's usually, two or rack ovens.
Two racks, yep.
Two racks, four pies on each track.
And that's, that works.
Cliff Duvernois (02:47):
Sweet Mo.
So for you being in the kitchen, solet me ask you this question here.
'cause I was a kid, I grewup, my mom was always cooking.
The last place I was was the kitchen.
So what was it about cooking thatbrought you and attracted you to it?
Maria Otto (03:03):
At my home where we grew up.
It was the kitchen wasthe center of the house.
So you walk in.
Ah,
Cliff Duvernois (03:09):
true.
Yep.
Yes.
Maria Otto (03:10):
Take your shoes off.
You're walking into thekitchen and on this side of
the kitchen's, the living room.
And then we had a family room on thisand the doors were always open and
everybody, even though there weretwo other spaces, that you could
sit in, everybody is in the kitchen.
And usually standing around thecounter seeing what's going on.
a couple people standing by the stove.
(03:32):
Stirring whatever we got going on there.
Offering
Cliff Duvernois (03:34):
to sample what it is you're making.
Yes, exactly.
Yep.
Maria Otto (03:36):
yeah, we were always just in the kitchen and I still am even at home.
I leave here and I'm in the kitchen.
It's an addiction.
Cliff Duvernois (03:44):
Oh, it certainly is.
Yes.
Now, as you're growing up, as part ofyour backstory here, which I read on your
website, so as you're growing up, you'rethinking about going off to college.
And initially you didn't.
Pursue Correct.
Like a culinary arts degree.
And you actually went in avery different direction.
Maria Otto (04:02):
Yes.
Cliff Duvernois (04:02):
Talk to us about that.
Maria Otto (04:03):
actually to take it back a little further, when I was about to
head off to college, I had no money,you know, and you need to pay for
books and tuition and, everything.
Housing?
Yes.
I was working at a golf courseand I asked them if I could sell
pies to make some extra money.
And the owner said Yes.
(04:23):
And so, oh, how nice is that?
Yeah.
And so it was perfect.
So I would bake pies, bringthem to the golf course and
sell 'em for 10 bucks a piece.
And it was just some extra income tohelp me before I went off to college.
Cliff Duvernois (04:34):
So you could do that to help pay for books Exactly.
And everything.
Oh, that's great.
Yeah.
And
Maria Otto (04:37):
so then I did go, off, to college I was telling everybody, I'm gonna
go back and I'm gonna open a bakery and.
And that was my goal.
Right?
Right.
Took entrepreneurship classes, dida couple things here and there.
Did idea pitch competitionsabout, I'm gonna open a bakery.
We are gonna sell only seasonal fromscratch items and this and this and that.
(04:57):
as I kept going, and I'll never forget,I was sitting in one of my logistics
classes, one day supply chain management,and the professor was looking around.
He goes, I see a lot of women inthis class, a lot of girls, if you
want a job right outta college.
You should go into logisticsbecause it's mostly men.
True.
And you are almost guaranteedto get a full-time job.
(05:19):
And for some reasons thatjust, clicked with me.
I should do that 'cause Ineed to make some money.
And so I ended up, after that I switchedmy major just from business to logistics.
It's amazing how in incre, howeasily you can be torn, turned
into a different direction.
Just from you got
Cliff Duvernois (05:36):
that right?
Yes.
Yes.
Yep.
And
Maria Otto (05:38):
so me being the, you know, low twenties that I
was Yeah, that's a good idea.
He is a professor.
I'm Melissa to him, so I changed my lives.
Nice.
Cliff Duvernois (05:44):
Paycheck, a career.
Yes.
Able to buy a
Maria Otto (05:46):
home then.
Cliff Duvernois (05:47):
Yep.
Maria Otto (05:48):
And sold my first job.
I worked at a three PL dispatching,truck drivers, giving 'em pickup
numbers, that kind of thing.
And I, I've always been oneof those people, I'm gonna
submerse myself into this.
I am going into logistics.
I love supply chain,love being in warehouses.
And I'm thinking back, wherethe heck did that come from?
I have no idea.
This doesn't even makesense, but I did it.
(06:10):
and then I, during that job as a three pl.
The owner of that company said,what have you always wanted to do?
And I said, I've alwayswanted to own a bakery.
And he said, ha, there's no money in that.
Don't do that.
And I thought, he's right.
There's no money in that.
Don't do that.
You know what I mean?
And so I didn't, A couple yearslater, we decided to move back
(06:31):
to Bay City, my husband and Ibecause I was gonna have a baby.
We're excited to have the babywanna be closer to my family
'cause we're all still very close.
And I had a job, opportunityfull-time at an automotive
company just south of Bay City.
Cliff Duvernois (06:45):
Boom.
Maria Otto (06:45):
So I thought, this is great.
everything works out,things are going well.
I'm gonna start doing automotive.
And so I did.
And while I was there they said, you'regood at, I think you'd be good at sales.
Can you do sales?
And I said, sure.
I don't really want to,but I think I'll do that.
And it's just, I didn't thinkabout it at the time, but people
tell you you're good at something.
(07:06):
Okay, yeah, I'll do that.
Oh, no problem.
And so I found myself on this path.
Yeah, I'll do that.
Okay.
Yeah, to get a promotion, take this joband get on this account and travel here.
Travel there.
Never home.
My last step in my career, I was apurchasing director and That's great.
Oh, wow.
Yes.
And it was, it was wonderful.
It was what I wanted, workingup the ladder, and all of this.
(07:30):
But there was one day that Ijust, I don't know what happened.
I literally was sitting atmy desk and I was, I said, I
don't wanna do this anymore.
I don't even know what life I'm living.
I don't know who I am.
I feel like it's the same thing every day.
the other things, you lose trackof the simple things in life.
(07:52):
I don't cook at all anymore.
I remember that was in my head.
We go out to eat every single day.
Every single day.
I don't remember the lasttime I baked anything.
And, which was weird for me becausebeing that I always wanted to open a
bakery, I was working on our cinnamonroll recipe years prior at home, trying
to make it bigger, bigger batches,perfecting this and that, and I
(08:13):
found myself we're not even, I home.
This is Ter, what dowe have this house for?
I'm not even living my life.
Cliff Duvernois (08:20):
It's basically a flop house.
Yes.
You just go there, sleep,get up the next day.
And that's did repeat the day.
That's
Maria Otto (08:24):
all we did.
And I wasn't evencomfortable in my home, home.
So it was a very, I don't wanna be here.
And that almost makes you work more too.
That makes you work more too.
Because I'm like, I don't wanna be home.
I, it just, something's not right,So I went home, talked to my
husband, and I said, I have a prof.
I said, this is gonna soundstupid, because I feel like I have
(08:44):
the life that everybody wants.
I have a beautiful house,married children, career and a
career that for kids I built.
You know what I mean?
Mm-hmm.
I went back and got my MBA, like, Iam on track to be an executive and.
That's what I always wanted.
And I said, but I'm just not happy.
And I don't know what it is.
I think I gotta make some changes.
Cliff Duvernois (09:03):
Yeah.
Maria Otto (09:04):
And he said, okay.
And we had talked before about yeah,we can, you know, we're flexible.
If you wanna do somethingdifferent, go for it.
And, uh, because he has
Cliff Duvernois (09:12):
a job in auto wove as well.
Yes.
Right?
Yes.
Mm-hmm.
Maria Otto (09:15):
And we always had that in common, you know,
it's what we talked about.
and even that gets a little,
Cliff Duvernois (09:18):
No wonder why you couldn't get away from, you go, you
go to work all day and then you comehome and that's what you talk about.
Yeah.
Yes.
Okay.
Maria Otto (09:24):
It was terrible.
Cliff Duvernois (09:25):
Yes,
Maria Otto (09:26):
Absolutely terrible.
so we said, I said, you know, I wentback to work, I think when Clara,
my daughter was six weeks old.
I didn't stay home I said,I feel like I missed out.
She's going into sixth grade,middle school, critical years.
I think I'm gonna take the summer off.
I think I'm taking a break.
I'm gonna take the summer off.
(09:47):
We went to the beach every dayand ate ice cream every day.
Gained some weight.
Cliff Duvernois (09:50):
Nice.
Maria Otto (09:52):
But anyways, we had the best summer.
I said, I'm, quitting myjob, taking the summer off.
I'm gonna actually spend timewith Clara ' cause I missed her.
You know?
Yes.
You don't even know your kids.
Somebody else is raising her.
Yep.
which I thought was great for, butnow I'm like, no, that's my kid.
I want her to be like me and theonly way she's gonna be like us
is if she knows us, And so, leftmy job, which was very difficult.
(10:15):
What a terrible, it took me a long time.
I got physically sick.
From quitting my job becauseyou, that's your life, or I know
you, at least it was my life.
It's a
Cliff Duvernois (10:25):
paycheck, Yes, yes.
I get it.
I get it.
Maria Otto (10:27):
I tell people, when you decide to quit your job.
You think it's gonna be, woo-hoo,I get to sleep in, I'm gonna
be, I'm gonna exercise, I'mgonna do all of these things.
And for me it was like, holy crap.
I went and got my MBA.
Like I went, I traveled, I did allof these things and took, classes
on all of this, Dale Carnegie andall of these things that led up to
(10:50):
me trying to grow professionally.
So I can't believe Ijust threw all that away.
And that was going through my mind.
Cliff Duvernois (10:57):
I can also see too, from your perspective there, I mean you made
this comment before you had a dream life
Maria Otto (11:05):
Yes.
Cliff Duvernois (11:05):
That many people would kill for and,
Maria Otto (11:08):
and people to this day probably say, Maria is stupid.
Cliff Duvernois (11:11):
yeah.
Well, or they're thinking ofthemselves, like, why not me?
You know why.
Right.
Why throw all that away?
It doesn't make any sense.
Maria Otto (11:19):
Yeah.
Cliff Duvernois (11:19):
But it was really, for you, it was.
It was a happiness factor.
Maria Otto (11:23):
Yes, exactly.
Internally happy.
It's incredible how youthink you want something and
it's, it's not what you want.
You know what I mean?
More simple, the better iswhat I've, I've learned for me.
Cliff Duvernois (11:35):
And then for, to, to go explore that a little bit further.
'cause when you were talking beforeabout how it was like a long process.
even that day, that first day,you're not working anymore.
I could imagine thatthere's a lot of anxiety.
Maria Otto (11:48):
Oh yeah.
Cliff Duvernois (11:49):
Because this is what your whole life has
become, and now it's not there.
It's gone.
Right.
It's, it's a, a big chunkof your life missing.
Maria Otto (11:55):
Yeah, it was incredibly tough.
and I was lucky to have supportfrom my family, that day that I
ended up leaving and I just, I quit.
I was at home in my living room andI heard a knock on our back patio.
And it was two of my brothers and mysister-in-laws with a case of beer
and they said, let's have a drink.
Cliff Duvernois (12:14):
Yeah.
And we just
Maria Otto (12:14):
sat on the back patio and just talked, you know what I mean about Yes.
Alright.
Next phase of life.
it's all good, you're gonnabe fine and this and that.
So I'm lucky to happen.
Cliff Duvernois (12:24):
Now at some point you broach the idea
about starting a pastry shop.
Maria Otto (12:32):
Yes.
Cliff Duvernois (12:33):
So talk to us about that.
Maria Otto (12:34):
So it was that summer hanging out with Clara.
I thought, I wanna get back to what Ithink that I have wanted to do all along
that I just didn't have the guts to do.
And just said, I'm sick of, doingwhat I'm supposed to do and I'm
just gonna do what I wanna do.
For me, I have, I have onekid, going into middle school.
She was going into sixth grade.
I'm not gonna sit home all day.
(12:55):
I, I'm a busy, I like, I don't likebeing busy, but I like having a purpose.
You know?
I wanna feel like I am doing something.
And I said, when she goes back to schoolin the fall, I'm gonna hit it hard.
I'm gonna start selling thisoutta my house and I'm gonna
start looking for a space.
Oh, this is beautiful.
Yes.
So it was cool.
It was like I post on myFacebook, Hey everybody, here's
(13:15):
my site and please support me.
You know what I mean?
I'm going off the cuff here.
My stuff tastes good.
Give it a try, and I knew Ididn't wanna stay outta my
home because it's not for me.
I have always wanted to, own a bakery.
And that is what I'm going to do.
So if I died tomorrow, what would I.
What would I do?
I would've said I should have done that.
(13:37):
And so it was awesome.
Cliff Duvernois (13:39):
It's interesting that, the influence that one person's comment
made all those years ago being railed.
Yeah.
Yes.
Maria Otto (13:47):
And that, and I would say everything worked out so perfectly
Cliff Duvernois (13:53):
when those doors open.
Maria Otto (13:54):
Yes.
Yeah.
Because the things that I learned,Supply chain management, purchasing.
I worked in finance for a little bit.
I worked in sales.
I have traveled the globe.
I know that our KY tastesexactly like the ones in Poland.
HR, I didn't work in HR.
But I had people that worked forme, so I had experience doing
that and all of these things.
(14:15):
Have helped me be successfulat owning my own bakery.
if I would have opened a bakery rightout of college, I wouldn't have been
prepared as I was, it was the right time.
Cliff Duvernois (14:26):
It's almost from what you're saying there, it was
like through your life journey,even though you weren't doing.
What you wanted or trulywanted to do, right?
Yeah.
You were picking up all of those skills,which is now making you successful.
Maria Otto (14:38):
Exactly.
And it was all necessary,to be successful.
So yeah, a lot of times youdon't understand why things are
happening to you in your life.
And then I.
Then you understand hindsight is2020 and I'm still, and then God
shows you the whole puzzle learning.
Exactly, yeah.
Everything falls into place it'sbeen incredible And some of these
things, um, that we do, our menusand all of that, it's just you
(15:01):
get an idea in your head and.
Let's run with it, you know?
So Cool.
That's beautiful.
Yeah.
Cliff Duvernois (15:05):
For our audience, we're gonna take a quick
break and thank our sponsors.
When we come back, we're gonnatalk to Bria a lot more about what
it took to get the, the littlepastry shop up and running, and
we will see you after the break.
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Well, I can tell youthere's a lot more to come.
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(15:27):
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Hello everyone.
Welcome back to Total Michigan, wherewe interview ordinary Michigan Anders
doing some pretty extraordinary things.
I am your host, Cliff DuVernois.
Today we're talking with MariaOtto, the owner of the Little
(15:49):
Pastry Shop located in Bay City.
Maria, before the break, we were talkingabout how you had decided that you were
gonna start cooking outta your home.
And because you really wanted tohave that home experience, you're
starting to chase something that you'vebeen passionate about or whatever.
Since you were a little girl, at whatpoint in time did you say to yourself,
I can't do this at home anymore.
(16:09):
I actually need a dedicated space.
I.
Maria Otto (16:12):
Pretty quickly.
oh, even
Cliff Duvernois (16:13):
better.
Maria Otto (16:14):
Yeah, I had a goal in mind.
I always wanted to own a shop, andI've never been one to stay at home.
And so I like people interaction.
I love having customers come in.
And so right away I started lookingfor a space, and I was lucky to
find, to find this so quickly.
Now,
Cliff Duvernois (16:30):
how did you come about finding this space?
'cause this is the city market,
Maria Otto (16:34):
right?
Cliff Duvernois (16:34):
Located in Bay City, right?
Yes.
So how did you find this place?
Maria Otto (16:37):
So it was, it was not, occupied with any other shops at the time.
Okay.
And, um, I was looking for a placethat had, ability to have a, a kitchen.
Which is difficult to find.
I also, I like this area, my familyand I come downtown Bay City all
the time, summertime for concertsand the restaurants and all of that.
Cliff Duvernois (16:55):
Yes.
And so I
Maria Otto (16:56):
wanted to be somewhere that I loved.
through some friends that had, youknow, some insight on what was available
around, they helped me find it.
Cliff Duvernois (17:05):
Now when you're talking before about this, 'cause this
is, this is like a whole other part ofthe equation when you're running some
kind of a food production business.
Yeah.
Like you're running pastries,we're talking refrigerators.
We're talking ovens, we'retalking all of this stuff.
Yes.
Now, did this space already have allof that, or is that something you
had to go out and scratch together?
The financing for?
Yeah.
Maria Otto (17:23):
Pretty much everything I ended up buying.
I'm by myself and with my dad.
My dad would help me, if we went toan estate sale, if a restaurant was
closing, Hey, a stainless steel table.
Oh, perfect.
That kind of stuff.
Yes, yes, we looked for that.
And then some stuff we did buy brand new.
but yeah, it's, it was a process.
And it, it didn't take as long aswhat I thought, but I think I just
knew the right people that kind ofknew other people that that helped me.
(17:47):
So, oh, this is
Cliff Duvernois (17:47):
great.
Yeah.
So now when you're talking before,'cause you mentioned this very early
on in the interview, where you weretinkering around with that perfect recipe.
Yeah.
For cinnamon rolls.
Okay.
So just let you know I'ma cinnamon roll snap.
So cool.
I'm gonna have at least five, but,uh, the rest of your menu that you're
coming up with, like the, the cookiesand you actually have real croissants
Maria Otto (18:09):
Yes.
Cliff Duvernois (18:10):
Over there.
How did this menu come about?
Maria Otto (18:12):
So we started pretty simple.
I.
With the cinnamon rolls and the scones.
And actually the scones were thefirst thing that I wanted to sell.
They're a little different.
They're smaller.
they're not as dry as atypical s scone, I would say.
Thank you.
I always said they're kind of American.
Yes.
but I, I started making them at homeand it was one of my older brothers
that said, you need to sell these.
(18:33):
These are so good.
Scones aren't as well known.
I would say cinnamon rollshave a more, uh, draw.
Correct.
So I started and then I was like,okay, I'll do my cinnamon rolls too.
And then little pies, just becauseme and my mom, together, that
was going back to the roots.
If you look at my business plan fromcollege, it was all about the pie.
I said, we're gonna do little piesbecause I grew up in a big family,
(18:53):
but my current family is justme, my husband, and my daughter.
And so we can't eat a whole pie.
It's gonna go old on the counter.
And there's nothing more disappointingthan wasting a good dessert.
Yes.
So the little pies are nice 'causethey don't go to waste ever.
And so those were our initialproducts that we started with.
the chocolate chip cookies are strictlyon the menu because my husband loves them.
(19:15):
He loves them.
Eat, was that them Everything thata condition of opening the place.
It was, you gotta have cookies.
He goes, if you're gonna opena bakery, you have to have a
good chocolate chip cookie.
Yeah.
Cliff Duvernois (19:22):
Um,
Maria Otto (19:22):
the recipe for the chocolate chip cookies, actually we started with
a recipe that I always use, right?
My daughter came in here,right after we opened.
It was summertime, andso she came and helped.
And she was helping make thecookie dough and she messed up.
And, uh, I said, well, what did you do?
And she goes, oh, I added this andI put more butter in by mistake.
And I did this.
And she was just like a mess.
(19:43):
And I said, well, shoot, let's go.
'cause we make big batches, right?
If you mess somethingup, it's a, it's sucks.
So we We baked thecookies and we tried 'em.
I se Clara, these are betterthan what I had before.
So on our menu, it's Clara's chocolatechip cookie because some of the best
mistakes are delicious, you know?
Yes.
It ended up being delicious.
So that is actually the cookie recipe.
(20:04):
The little punch, the little check bites.
We call 'em check bites.
Cliff Duvernois (20:08):
Mm-hmm.
Maria Otto (20:08):
Um, we took that from Tim Bits instead of that, it's check bites.
Ah, check is the last four,letters of my maiden name.
Oh, okay.
CZYK.
We're calling 'em check bites.
They're actually mini Ky.
My family is very polish and proud.
And so there we go.
Our family recipe on the Georchick side of my family, so
we sell those by the dozen.
but then the croissants, I just learnedhow to make them and they were delicious.
(20:32):
but we try to focus on, I.
At little pastry shop, we try to focuson smaller portions, for people who don't
have a bunch of people at home, maybe.
Or maybe it's just them.
And like I said, it feels, you alwaysfeel like, oh geez, I got this big
pie, or this big cinnamon roll, or,and ours are more like, you could, one
person can enjoy that and be happy.
(20:53):
doesn't, you don't have to feellike you're missing out because
you've got, no one with you.
That's kind of what we, that'swhy we sell Slice of Cake.
We have customers that come in twice aweek for one piece of cake for themselves.
And how wonderful is that?
I love that.
Cliff Duvernois (21:06):
Beautiful.
Yes.
You made a commentbefore Polish and proud.
Maria Otto (21:10):
Yes.
Cliff Duvernois (21:10):
So I gotta ask this question.
And if you attack me witha knife, that's okay.
So my mom was.
A stickler when it came tomaking her own pie crust.
Yes.
And she could tell by the feel,and we used half a can of Crisco.
Everything that's bad for you thesedays went into that pie crust.
Yeah.
And it was absolutely sublime.
(21:30):
You make your own pie crust,
Maria Otto (21:32):
correct.
From scratch.
Actually everything wemake is from scratch.
there is, and
Cliff Duvernois (21:37):
it's your recipe though?
Maria Otto (21:38):
Yes.
Me and my mom.
Cliff Duvernois (21:40):
Not from a box.
Maria Otto (21:40):
Correct.
Okay.
And you'd be surprised, I didn'trealize how many bakeries actually just
use a mix and they put it together.
Yeah.
and we don't, and sothat is why we are small.
Because that stuff takes time.
everything is in small batchesand we have some people come in
and say, is this what you have?
Yeah.
This is it.
You know what I mean?
Right.
'cause it takes time and we don'tsell anything day old and we don't
(22:02):
freeze anything and bring it back out.
It's, we sell out quite a bitbecause we make a certain amount
and when it's gone, it's gone.
But we're happy and confident knowingthat every customer who walks through
the door gets something fresh.
Cliff Duvernois (22:14):
I think a lot of people miss the fact that especially
when it comes to pies, one thingthat I learned is the pie crust is
just as important as the filling.
Maria Otto (22:21):
Oh, absolutely.
Cliff Duvernois (22:22):
You know?
Yes.
And I think a lot of people justgloss it over 'cause they go right.
For the filling and, and the, piecrust is almost like a slice of bread.
Maria Otto (22:29):
Yeah.
Cliff Duvernois (22:29):
just something to eat,
Maria Otto (22:30):
right?
Yeah.
Yep.
Exactly.
Cliff Duvernois (22:32):
So let's go back.
you've gotten the store, you were workingon getting the menu, you're getting the
equipment, the refrigerator, the stoveand everything else like into place.
Yes.
Why don't you talk to us about someof those early challenges about
getting this place up and running,
Maria Otto (22:43):
trying to figure out where to put things.
We're not a very large space and soa vertical height was our friend.
but yeah, the vibe, we painted the wallsbright purple, matched our logo and
people were like, you're gonna do purple?
Yes.
And it was kind of one of those thingslike, I'm doing whatever I wanna do now.
You know, like goingback, this is my space.
Yes.
I'm, you know, we're doing that.
(23:05):
It's bright, it's happy, and wewanted it to be open as possible.
And we wanted to see a little visibilityback into what we're doing there to
make sure people can see, we're workingon this, we've got fresh cookies
coming outta the oven right now.
you can't beat that.
Cliff Duvernois (23:19):
No, you can't.
I'm getting more hungry.
Maria Otto (23:21):
I know.
Yeah, you're gonna
Cliff Duvernois (23:22):
have to try.
one of the things that you've repeatedlymentioned throughout this interview,
and I want to take a couple minutesjust to explore it, and I have to
say it's actually quite beautiful.
Every step of the way.
You have had phenomenalfamily and friend support.
Huge.
Huge.
Yes.
(23:42):
And even like when you talked about onFacebook, I can imagine that Facebook
was a huge driver just to get peopleto start coming through your door.
'cause it's different whenyou know somebody could go
to your house or whatever.
It's to get something.
But now you're actually located at astorefront and have to drive downtown.
Yeah.
To be able to get it.
share with us a little bitabout your thoughts about
having that friend and family.
Maria Otto (24:02):
Thank God.
to have people really just comearound you and say, what do you need?
Let's make it happen.
And even, members of the communitythat come in, we will have customers.
Come in place their order.
Somebody comes in behind them and they'llsay, you have to have the cherry pie.
Try the cherry skull.
(24:24):
The brownies are to die for the
Cliff Duvernois (24:25):
customers are your best, best marketers.
They sell for us.
Yes.
And that
Maria Otto (24:28):
is so cool.
And we have made, we've been open foralmost two years now, and the regulars
that we already have established andhow friendly and, it's phenomenal.
just amazing.
Cliff Duvernois (24:39):
It's interesting when, when they can come through the door and
you just look at 'em and you're like,oh, you're here for your cinnamon roll.
Maria Otto (24:43):
Yeah.
our cashier, Trudy, she knows alot of people's orders by heart.
They walk in, they're like,cake slices, peanut butter.
This week she'll pull it out of the, andshe knows that he wants a slice of cake.
'cause he comes everyweek to get a new slice.
So beautiful.
Yeah.
Cliff Duvernois (24:57):
Maria, if somebody is coming here for the first time, what would
be something that you would recommend?
That they try?
Maria Otto (25:04):
The cinnamon rolls.
Cliff Duvernois (25:05):
Yeah.
Maria Otto (25:05):
And the cherry almond scones.
It was the first s scone that I evermade, and it was the one that my
brother said, these are phenomenal.
You gotta, you gotta sell these.
So,
Cliff Duvernois (25:14):
yeah.
Gig.
Yep.
And if somebody does want to come hereand they wanna check you out, they want
to try cinnamon roll or the, the cherryalmond scone, how can they do that?
Maria Otto (25:25):
We are located downtown, bay City on the corner of Center and Adams.
So you'll hear our building referredto as the city market building
or the Old Penny's Building.
So the address is 4 0 1Center Avenue, Bay City.
Cliff Duvernois (25:38):
And what's that?
What's your website?
Maria Otto (25:39):
our website is www.lpastryshop.com.
Cliff Duvernois (25:43):
Awesome.
Yep.
Maria, thank you so much fortaking time to chat with us today.
I really do appreciate it.
Maria Otto (25:48):
I appreciate you asking,
Cliff Duvernois (25:49):
and for audience, you can always roll on over to total michigan.com
and click on Maria's interview andget the links she mentioned above.
We'll see you next time when wetalk to another Michigan or doing
some pretty extraordinary things.
We'll see you then.
I.
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