Today was probably the saddest day I’ve had in the five years of owning this bakery. It was also my only day off in the last five weeks. I had been looking forward to finally resting, spending time with my family, and just enjoying one day where I didn’t have to think about work. Then I got a phone call. One of my employees told me that a fridge had been accidentally turned off the night before. I immediately knew what that meant. I couldn’t enjoy my day off anymore. I was sick to my stomach. I had to go back to the bakery and see it for myself. When I opened the fridge, my heart sank. More than $2,000 worth of desserts had spoiled and had to go straight into the trash. The hardest part is that we work so hard every single day to make sure you’re getting the freshest desserts possible. Our desserts are made daily with real fruit, real cream, and real chocolate. We don’t use preservatives because we want you to have something that tastes homemade, fresh, and made with care. Seeing all of that work wasted was heartbreaking. I cried a little. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this sad since opening Sugar Bakery. People see the lines out the door, the sold-out signs, and the beautiful desserts on social media. But I can’t tell you how hard it is to run a small bakery. I hold it together because I have to. I smile, make videos, encourage my team, and keep moving forward. But inside, this is the hardest job I’ve ever done. The responsibility never turns off. You carry the stress home with you. You worry about your employees, your customers, the bills, the quality, and making sure everyone around you is okay. And sometimes, one simple mistake can cost thousands of dollars and break your heart. But mistakes happen. As painful as they are, we learn from them. We can’t change what happened, but we can make sure it doesn’t happen again. That fridge is getting a giant sign that says: DO NOT TURN OFF. Today was one of the hard days. Tomorrow, we’ll come back, make everything fresh again, open our doors, and keep going. Because that’s what small business owners do. ❤️ #viralcrunchydesserts #santacruzfoodies #bayareadesserts #desserttok #sugarbakeryco - @sugarbakeryco