时事资讯:巧克力曲奇女王的创业故事

【英文原文】

Building a Chocolate Chip Empire

Bite into a Tate's Bake Shop chocolate chip cookie and you'll quickly realize that butter is the not-so-secret ingredient. The thin, crispy, caramel-tasting treats are the signature product of Kathleen King's Southampton, N.Y., bakery and the guilty pleasure of beach-bound Manhattanites, celebrity fans such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Rachael Ray, and cookie lovers around the country. Growing up on a Long Island farm, Ms. King began baking as a kid and now some four decades later sells her confections in 40 states to the tune of $6 million in annual revenue. Her wholesale facility in nearby East Moriches churns out 24 million cookies each year, sold in clear plastic bags for $5 a dozen at retailers such as Whole Foods, Gelson's and Central Market. Ms. King, 50 years old, today has 55 employees, two cookbooks and an ultimate plan to sell her company for a sweet price, of course.

Edited interview excerpts follow:

Q. What inspired you to start your own business?

A. I was baking and selling cookies at my dad's farm when I was 11. He said, 'You have to buy your own clothes for school,' so I said, 'OK.' When you grow up on a farm, you start working the day you start walking. We were raised in an independent self-sufficient way so it was just incredibly natural for me to finish college and create my own job. My mom told me about a fully equipped bakery for rent in Southampton. When I was 23, I bought the location I am still in today. At the time, it was just putting one foot in front of the other. I lived at home; I didn't have any major responsibilities. That's the beauty of being young and nave I didn't know what to fear.

Q. Did you work hard to make your cookie stand out?

A. I honestly never had a plan. The chocolate chip cookie was always my specialty. My dad said. 'You can't just have a store selling chocolate chip cookies.' So I made other American things apple pie, cakes and muffins. But the bottom line is that I still make my living off chocolate chip cookies the rest is fluff.

Q. Are you surprised at how many fans you've won?

A. Sometimes it's a little overwhelming! It's rewarding because we're very strict on our quality control. My staff takes tremendous pride in the product. If someone has a complaint, we take it to heart. We try the best we can to stay on top of our game, because there's always someone trying to compete.

Q. How have your marketed your business?

A. When I first got into the wholesale business, I literally went into Manhattan with a shopping bag and walked into stores [like legendary market Balducci's] saying: 'Can I sell some cookies?' We got orders. Then our reputation started to spread. We do a lot in the community, such as donating to fundraisers, and the community has been good to us. As far as celebrities, they just find our products on their own. You get a lot of exposure here in the Hamptons you never know who's coming in or who you're selling to. That's one of the reasons for my success.

Q. How did you grow your business beyond the Hamptons?

A. I have an amazing business manager who's been able to help me reach this level. He meets with distributors, negotiates deals and then we open up territories and start shipping. We do tastings and in-store specials, then we go to another territory and do the same thing.

Q. How has your company fared during the recession?

A. We've done relatively well. It makes us all work smarter. We watch everything closely and we cut where we can. We never cut on quality but if I can buy a paper bag cheaper, we do that. My retail-store business isn't growing because rentals (in the Hamptons) are down, but the wholesale business is growing. People tend to eat more sweets when stressed.

Q. What's been your biggest challenge?

A. Breakage and shelf life is a constant challenge. People want an all-natural product, but they want it to last 6 months. We just keep trying to create a better mousetrap.

Q. What are your long-term plans for the company?

A. My long-term plans are to continue to grow the business and to be the best chocolate chip cookie in the country and to eventually sell the company. I don't have any children and there is no niece or nephew that can't wait to run Tate's. I'd like to sell when I'm young enough to climb up the highest mountain.

Q. What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs just starting out?

A. As you try to make decisions, take the emotion out. When we start a business, it's like raising a child. You start from nothing; you put everything into it; and you watch it grow. But it's not a child. When you take the emotion out of decision-making, everything is clear. Your business will grow, and everybody will be better for it.