45.0°,
Partly Cloudy Heating up an online business
Hewlett native is a professional baker
Leaving a full-time position to travel and start an online bakery business may sound too good to be true, but for Hewlett native and New York City resident, Allie Spector, it’s her real life as she launched an online bakery business, HomeBaked by Allie, on Jan. 13.
The young entrepreneur dabbled with baking in high school mostly using boxed mixes. “I like the idea of baking,” Spector said and chuckled, “It just took me a while to realize you could do it without mixes.”
Spector, 24, graduated from Hewlett High School in 2010 and earned a marketing degree at NYU Stern School of Business in 2014. She worked in the marketing department at Steve Madden, Ltd. for about three years and while there, she was the “unofficial baker” of the office for birthdays, other special occasions or simply when she was in the mood.
“Allie’s creations have made my colleagues and I look forward to birthdays more than we ever had before,” Monica L. Samuel, international and wholesale senior marketing manager at Steve Madden, Ltd., said. Samuel added that her favorite dessert was a three-layer cookie cake that her co-worker made for another employee’s birthday, which included layers of chocolate chips, Funfetti and double chocolate with vanilla frosting. “They’ve evolved over time from simple cakes and cookies, to elaborate, jaw-dropping masterpieces,” Samuel said.
Most of Spector’s family enjoys cooking, but not so much baking, she said. Her grandmother gave her “Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook,” which fueled her interest in the hobby that has blossomed into a business. She watches videos online and reads a variety of baking blogs to perfect her craft.
Marley Spector, Allie’s 26-year-old sister, helped launch the business by building the HomeBaked by Allie website in a fashion that helps visitors “fall in love with her desserts and request an order quickly and easily,” Marley said. The Funfetti fan said she would love for the business to grow, and for her sister to be able to ship desserts across the U.S.
Zach Parker, 24, from North Woodmere, went to high school with Spector, and said he is very proud that she is pursuing her dream. “I respect her decision and think it takes a strong, determined person to leave a 9-5 job that she held for three years to take a chance of following her passion and starting her own business,” he said. When asked about his favorite dessert, he said they are all delicious, “How can I pick a favorite?”
Allie loves baking cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pies and muffins, and especially brownies, peanut butter brownies to be exact. When not heating up the oven, she also loves to travel, play sports and watch TV. Reality shows and “Game of Thrones” are among her favorites.
“She really has a passion for it,” Jackie Spector-Linder, Allie’s mom, said. “It’s a great expression of her creativity.” She hopes that her daughter finds success and feels good about herself by doing something that makes her happy. As both a lawyer and an artist, she added that seeing her daughter follow her artistic side is “pretty cool.” Her favorite dessert that her daughter makes is a Funfetti cake with pink icing.
Ordering from HomeBaked by Allie is as easy as clicking on “Request a Dessert” on the website and including details about the order and dietary restrictions. Spector follows up within 24 hours and payment is required once the order is finalized. Desserts can be picked up in the Murray Hill section of Manhattan. For an additional fee, there is delivery to other parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.
For more information, go to www.homebakedbyallie.com.
