Meet Jeanne Dennis | Baker, Entrepreneur, Founder of St. Rita’s Cakes

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jeanne Dennis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jeanne, why did you pursue a creative career?
Sometimes, your life’s work chooses you – in a sense. I grew up with incredible role models in cooking, hospitality and serving others. My grandmothers and mother all were wonderful cooks and I come from a Lebanese family so the kitchen is the place to gather – everything happens at the table! These role models were so strong in my life so it is a very natural desire for me to feed others. I love to cook and bake and I always took my cakes to work for others to enjoy and gifting my cakes was also very natural. So this gift of family was put to the test in 2009 when I lost my job. I knew baking was to be my life’s work. In addition to the posture of my grandmothers and family, my faith is also a gift they passed down to all our family. I named my company after one of my favorite saints, St. Rita! And my packaging reflects my father who was a butcher. Our family had a business for many years and offered fine cut and aged Western Meats and produce. He packaged all his meats in butcher paper, so again, this was a natural response to his work example. I knew I wanted the same type of packaging, so all our loaves are hand done in freezer paper and packaged as a gift. The generations that have gone before me are why I am very fortunate to serve with many gifts!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Well, our business is based on the beliefs and integrity that came from my upbringing and the example of my grandparents and parents posture they practiced in their own lives and family business. That posture will certainly set you apart. Persistence also will set you apart. You have to be persistent because running your own business is not easy. I started from and with nothing – no plan, no investors and no money! I took one day at a time, one season at a time and kept moving forward and did not stop. Sleep was over rated in the first three to four years until it became the “breath” of each and every day. So many people would say they didn’t want to work that long or hard each day. But you have to put in your time, have faith and believe in what you are doing. And one thing I learned about myself is you must work hard and working for yourself shows you what you are made of. It is the effort not the result that matters.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh my goodness, we are in the middle of a pandemic. But perhaps what first comes to mind is perhaps Atlanta Botanical Gardens. For now it is so hard to say regarding going out to eat, but I love Basils in Buckhead, so that would be a must. Probably a natural choice being I am Lebanese!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost I would like to acknowledge my relationship with God. He is who planted this idea in my heart and my parents are who passed down the faith to all of their children. And of course my grandparents. Their leadership led me to an incredible faith community that also played a part in my journey and all of these mentioned have been a stellar support system since the conception of my business. And lastly I would like to acknowledge my customers. In my forming years of the business, when I was just trying to figure out one day at a time, my customers made it very clear of their love for the product which is why we now have a proven concept to lean into for the future.

Website: www.stritascakes.com
Instagram: stritascakes
Facebook: St Ritas