May 15, 2017

Meet Jodi Bradbury of Jodi Bee Bakes in Salem

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jodi Bradbury.

Jodi, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In the winter of 2012, I woke up one morning with the urge to bake, which was rare for me since I had always focused on savory cooking since attending culinary arts school in 11 years earlier. The new obsession with baking continued and finally in April of 2013, I decided to rent space in a shared kitchen facility and open an online bakery as a side business to see if there was a market for my product. For two years, as I continued my full-time job as a Project Manager in IT, the business steadily grew and I began dreaming of someday leaving my job and opening my own storefront. In the winter of 2015, I casually started looking at spaces just to get a sense of what was available and then I came across my current location. Even though I knew I wasn’t ready to leave my career and open a storefront, for some reason I made an appointment to see the space a second time. As I was preparing to leave the office for the day to head to the second viewing, my manager called me into his office and informed me that I was being laid-off. The universe couldn’t have spoken to me any more clearly.

Just three months after, I opened the doors to Jodi Bee Bakes and we will be marking our 2nd year in June!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road. Chasing your dreams, finding the bravery to put yourself out there knowing that failure is a very real possibility and leaving the comfort of conformity are always internal struggles. Then there are the external struggles that come along with opening a small business, a venture that is filled with inefficiencies, red-tape, waiting, waiting, waiting and so many moving variables that you stay awake nights thinking about it all.

Once, opened there are new struggles, like trying to differentiate yourself and educate your customers. As a vegetarian bakery and café that specializes in vegan and gluten-free options, there’s always the prejudice and pre-conceived notions that the general population has towards vegetarian/vegan/GF food. This means that you’ll often be marginalized because it’s harder to create hype about healthy food than it is about bacon. There’s always the temptation to just give the people what they want in order to drive more sales, so staying true to yourself, your vision and keeping your integrity intact is sometimes a struggle but one that is worth it.

Time-management and learning to wear all the hats of a business and maintain a marriage and a social life can feel impossible at times but I’m proud to say I’m learning and even acquired a second business, Atlantic Saltworks, a year after opening the doors of the bakery.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Jodi Bee Bakes – what should we know?
Jodi Bee Bakes is a vegetarian bakery & café that specializes in all-natural baked goods. Our bakery uses local, seasonal and organic ingredients to create a variety of hand-crafted pastries and savory breakfast & lunch options, featuring both vegan and gluten-free selections.

We are proud to be a Conscious Business, that is to say that the business has a mission that goes deeper than just trying to earn a profit. Our commitment to the environment and social justice is just as strong as our commitment to quality and it influences every decision that we make, especially with regards to the ingredients we use and the suppliers that we work with.

I believe that the quality of our food, our service and our involvement in social activism is what we are known for and is what sets us apart from others

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Of course determination is important but I think the characteristic that is most important to the success of my business, is my ability to visualize what I want in a way that typically enables me to make it a reality.

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