Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Lewis.
Hi Jamie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Helfer’s Pastries started in 1977 by Chris and Kathy Helfer. They moved to Florissant in 1992 where the bakery is currently run. My husband (Cameron Lewis) and I took over the bakery in October 2021 when my parents retired. We have loved running the business over the last 5 years while we introduce new products and hold strong to our families traditional bakery roots.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Chris and Kathy had alot of ups and downs as they were young, new business owners. Of course raising a family also added its challenges while running a business.
As the second generation took over, we experienced our own struggles as we learned what it meant to own and operate a bakery that has been around for nearly 50 years.
We have learned so much over the last 5 years about how to create great product, how to have excellent customer service, and also what it looks like to run a business with our 3 little girls.
Overall, I would say that it hasn’t been a smooth road, but a road filled with learning and growing. As we get more time under our belts, we believe that things have very much smoothed out. We have the best customers in the world that have stuck with us through it all!
We’ve been impressed with Helfers Pastries, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our bakery has been around for nearly 50 years. We are a second generation old-school retail bakery. We specialize in traditional baked goods (danish, stollen, gooey butter, etc.) while also providing excellently crafted custom cakes and cookies.
We are known for our gooey butter and our decorated cakes. We strive to always provide excellent product, and I think that is what we have become known for. Anytime you go to Helfers, you know you’ll find a tasty treat. We love that the community can rely on us to be here for what they need, when they need it.
We are most proud of our family tradition. Not many places can say they own a second generation business. We are so proud of the work that my parents put into the bakery to build an incredible foundation that we get to build on. We are in a very unique opportunity that we get to raise our three daughters in the same environment that I was raised in, and hopefully build up the third generation!
We hope that your readers know that Helfers is a small family business that puts love and care into every product we create. We hope that your readers know they will be greeted with a warm smile when they come to the store, and that they are part of the family the second they walk through the door.
How do you define success?
Success to us is having a great community around us. Success means we have created a safe space for customers to come and enjoy a sweet treat together with their families.
At the end of the day, if we can look back and hear that people have enjoyed the atmosphere and the products here at Helfers, then that’s all we could want.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://helferspastries.com
- Instagram: helferspastries
- Facebook: helferspastries
