Many in the Cumming, GA and greater Forsyth county area know of Creations Bakery–a local custom cake and dessert business. It has served the community since 2009 under the management of award winning Pastry Chef, Jamie Nation. From your yearly birthday cake to one-time specialty treat, your vision is their creativity.

“It’s the only thing I’ve ever trained for…the only thing I’ve ever loved to do,” Nation says.

By the age of only 15, Nation was a personal chef and cake decorator. She continued with her practice and graduated from the Academy of Culinary Arts in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Her passion for the food industry, specifically tea service, pastry baking and cake design, has led her to take her business even further.

Nation is changing all standards and definition of a bakery. What was once known as Creations Bakery is now on its way to a drastic change. A new name, new store set up, and new services. They’re saying bye bye full service bakery, and hello tea room galore.

Plum and Sage Tea Room will be in full swing this May, offering an assortment of teas, lunch options, and dining themes. “We have a mad hatter room, a garden room and a paris room with a fireplace,” Nation says. Each room is designed to its theme and can be used for birthday parties, baby showers, or even small wedding receptions.

This small, local business is doing its part to bring new options and new services to the community. It’s manager, Judanne Bogigian, has been with Nation from the beginning.

“There’s always something new, creative and different here,” Bogigian says.

Being different and unique is key for a small business to keep its name around a town full of chain stores. According to a Business Know How study, possessing a loyal employee base and maintaining the vision of the company is key to small business success. There are ten tips BKH recommends for small business growth that Nation has kept in mind throughout all these years:

1. Develop and maintain your company’s mission
2. Build strong vendor and customer relationships
3. Hold employees accountable
4. Create a solid and loyal employee base
5. Develop your management from within
6. Never lose focus on quality
7. Keep an eye on operating costs during growth
8. Grow wisely
9. Maintain operations excellence
10. Build solid business processes

Even though the business is small, the vision is big. Nation has strategically operated her business despite harsh economic statuses, a community industrializing, and the low odds of small businesses staying relevant and in business.

According to the U.S Small Business Administration, about two-thirds of small businesses survive two years in business, half will survive five years, and one-third will survive ten. The longer a company has been in business, the more likely it is to stay in business—it’s those first few years that are the hardest.

Creations Bakery survived the first few, made it to the nine year mark, and is now on its way to many more years in business as Plum and Sage Tea Room. Though the company is no longer a full service bakery, it still provides custom cakes and desserts in addition to their lunch and tea services. What could be sweeter than some talk over tea and homemade desserts?

In the words of Nation, “There’s definitely nothing else out there like this.”

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In this video, I explore behind the bakery’s doors, showing the new tea room set up and talking with the owner and manager about what this business offers.