Piece of cake: A conversation with Emily Adams, CEO of Dirt On A Cake
Photo/Rebecca Goldfine
Emily Adams
Dirt On A Cake
Founded: September 2010
Employees: 0
Startup costs: $5,000
Projected revenue, year one: $15,000
Projected revenue, year two: $45,000
Contact: 749-0811
43 Glendale Road, Windham
www.dirtonacake.com
What is Dirt On A Cake?
Dirt On A Cake sells gourmet ice cream cake, handmade by a mom in Maine from a family recipe. It was created to be the best-tasting ice cream cake available in New England. Dirt On A Cake produces ice cream cakes in five sizes and over 20 different flavors (including sugar- and dairy-free).
Our products and the flavors aim to evoke the playfulness, carefree attitude and pure “in the moment” enjoyment that comes so naturally to children when they are eating that special treat and can be recaptured, at least for a moment, when enjoying Dirt On A Cake.
Why did you start the company?
In July of 2010, I left an intense job to take a moment to refocus on my family and its needs. That August, at my daughter’s fifth birthday party, I made our family’s traditional ice cream cake. While I was walking past a few mothers, I heard them say, “It looks like dirt on that cake,” [referring to the cake’s top layer of crumbled, dark chocolate cake]. To which I laughed and said, “Just wait, it is so good.” From that day, people began requesting that I make them these cakes for different occasions. I decided that was my passion and from there Dirt On A Cake was born.
How do you market the company?
Currently we market mostly from word of mouth and grass roots marketing. We are in two gourmet specialty stores with a third coming online soon. When we are picked up by a new store, we like to have different tastings, to get customers hooked. I’m out there kicking down doors to get people to try Dirt On A Cake.
How do you finance the company?
The company has been financed out of our savings and our revenue from sales.
Did you have help getting started?
I make the cakes at the Prep Kitchen in Freeport, a shared-use kitchen that I rent by the hour that has been wonderful.
I also got amazing support at a Woman Standing Together event. At the time, I wasn’t sure if I should sell in farmers’ markets, or to restaurants or connect with a caterer. I thought these were my options, but [the mentors at the Woman Standing Together event] guided me into retail specialty stores, where I am now and where I hope to expand.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Our biggest challenge has been to change people’s perceptions about ice cream cake. When you say ice cream cake, a certain image comes to people’s minds [vanilla on top, chocolate on the bottom with a hard cookie crumble in the middle] that you only order for a special occasion. Changing people’s perceptions that ice cream cake can be an everyday treat has been definitely challenging.
Our second biggest challenge is getting our name out there so that stores will be interested in carrying us.
What has been successful about your business strategy?
One of our biggest successes has been our name. It immediately stops people so they want to hear more. The other big success is the consumer response during tastings; people try our product, really like it and become customers.
We also donate a portion of our proceeds to the Little Dolphin School Foundation, a nonprofit early childhood learning center in Westbrook and Scarborough. With all the support I have received when I started this business, and continue to receive, it feels really great giving back.
What are your goals for your company?
To keep growing. We want to be in as many stores in New England as we can be. We currently ship across country and are hoping to have a retail location in the next three years. By next fall, I hope to have stores in the greater Portland area, the lakes region, southern Maine to York and then to Augusta and the Bangor area. In my mind, I don’t see an end. As we often say here at Dirt On A Cake, we just want to spread the yum.
Interview by Carol Coultas
New Ventures profiles young companies 6-18 months old. Send suggestions, including contact information, to editorial@mainebiz.biz.
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