Tori Vaccher owns and runs a vegan bakery and coffee shop in the Beaches, an endeavour she started so everyone can enjoy delicious baked goods regardless of dietary concerns. What advice does she have for other young professionals? Find out in today’s profile…
Elevator Pitch: Describe your job in a nutshell. Why did you start working at your company? What was the inspiration for this career route?
I own and run a vegan bakery and coffee shop (and wine bar coming soon). I started Tori’s Bakeshop to make delicious food that everyone can enjoy, regardless of dietary concern. I love sharing the inclusive culture of food.
What is the best part of what you do on a day-to-day basis? The most challenging part?
The best part is baking every morning and watching people enjoy what we bake fresh every day. It’s a very satisfying cycle that I’m privileged to witness every part of. The most challenging part is trying to keep the bakery case filled and balancing indulging customer suggestions for new things with learning when to say no.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years I imagine we’ll have a separate certified gluten-free bakery, and a pocket-shop for quick coffee and treats to go somewhere farther west. I’d also like to be able to have a proper plot of land on which to grow a lot of the ingredients we use in our recipes.
What does success look like to you?
Success is more than enjoying what you do; it comes when other people can derive that same enjoyment from what you do. Success happens when you’re welcomed into a community that you then work hard to give back to.
What is the most memorable milestone in your career?
Opening the Bakeshop in the first place was huge. There’s an enormous leap of faith when you jump from baking for your friends for free to baking for strangers and expecting them to pay for it. As such, each event then becomes an additional milestone (our first Cupcake Battle! our first Halloween! our first birthday!). We’re relieved we have a year under our belt, which offers us a lot more information to work with that we can then use to prepare for future milestones.
Do you have any advice for other young professionals?
You better love what you do and find people with an equal passion for either it or you. Sure my name’s on the door, but that in no way reflects the commitment of a team that works so honestly together that we may as well be family. Also, have a researched or thought-out reason behind the decisions you make because people want to know how or why you’ve done something. And they always want to know what’s next. Be prepared for a lot of questions.
Do you support any charities? If so, which one(s) and why is that important to you?
We donate any leftover food to a local church in the neighborhood that feeds local homeless people. And in the past year we’ve contributed baked goods to events for causes like Walk for the Animals, The Voice for Farmed Animals, and Animals Beyond Borders. We partnered with Belmonte Raw to help support Soupstock, and we’re active members of the Toronto Vegetarian Association. We support community-based causes that align with our beliefs and make tangible changes.
What to you is notable?
It is notable to be invited into the lives and homes of the people who visit with us. We’ve created relationships with them that are so much more important than a retail transaction. And when you look at your (long, unending) to-do list with a feeling of gratitude instead of foreboding, I feel like that’s pretty notable too.
Blackberry, iPhone, Android, or Other?
iPhone.