What happens when a brother and sister team up to honor their mother, their Asian heritage, and their love of French breads? They found Merlyn’s Patisserie, named after their mother, in Traverse City, Michigan.

“We both love to travel, and wanted to bring some of those experiences and cuisines to this area,” says Kucharski. “Traverse City is becoming more diverse,” says Dupra. “The response to our products has been great, not only from the city’s traditional base, but also from our Asian community craving a taste of home.”

Kate Cardinali, the team’s Michigan Small Business Development (MI-SBDC) consultant, helped make their dream a reality by helping with their business plan, mission, vision and values and website. “Kate’s a rock star. We really appreciate the MI-SBDC – you’re heroes,” says Dupra.

Merlyn’s Patisserie currently operates out of a shared commercial kitchen and offers pickup service, where the direct feedback from pickup customers is crucial to new product development and assortment decisions. “A storefront may be in the works someday, but for now the plan is steady growth.” adds Kucharski.

Learn more about Merlyn’s here