Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Roe.
Hi Holly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
From an early age, my grandmother who is a Lebanese immigrant from Egypt had me in the kitchen baking with her.
She fostered a love for food in me and watching and helping her as a little girl seemed magical! It became my dream to own my own bakery or coffee shop one day. Fast forward about 30 years and I was with my family on a trip to Colorado when we stumbled upon a Cinnaholic Bakery in Denver.
I ate the best cinnamon roll I have ever had in my life! I saw that it had been on the hit show “Shark Tank” and thought about that classic cream cheese cinnamon roll with blueberries for several months after that. I went online to see where I might be able to get another cinnamon roll because it was still in my thoughts and quite frankly, I wanted another one and was willing to drive to get it!
After searching, I discovered there wasn’t another franchise in the whole state of Tennessee. We began to explore opening a location. Four years later, we now own two Tennessee bakery locations.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Owning your own business is always an adventure that’s full of surprises! There’s always a new dilemma to solve or an unexpected twist in the day but that’s one of the great things about it.
It’s definitely never boring! Even with the challenges, working for myself and giving others the opportunity to work at a place that provides financially but also is safe, and positive and makes them feel like they have a family and a place to belong is the most rewarding of all.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a business owner, consultant, and entrepreneur. I own two bakeries and have over 30 employees. I’m known as “The cinnamon roll lady” but am most proud to also be known for our ministry and mission work and positive presence in our community. We are in a position to help others which is something I find great joy in. We’ve taken cinnamon rolls to communities experiencing a tragedy like devastating tornadoes in Chattanooga and Kentucky. We’ve donated breakfast meals to first responders who had been searching for a little boy that went missing for days.
We’ve held baking classes for a group of special needs adults and raised over $9,000 for a Ukrainian refugee family in need. We gathered supplies for flood victims and helped raise money for people who lost everything they owned in a house fire. Our bakery is very unique and we make all baked goods from scratch! Not only do we take time to see the people in our community and lend a hand but also we take time to invest in our art of baking. It terribly is a labor of love to make everything from scratch each day. We do not own a freezer so our products are always fresh and never frozen! Our specialty is gourmet cinnamon rolls but we also have cookies, brownies, edible cookie dough, cookie cakes, Dole Whip, cinnacakes, and more! We have over 20 frosting flavors and toppings to choose from. You can customize your dessert creations!
We also do large and small events, weddings, and catering. We love serving our community through gourmet scratch-made food and seeing their faces light up when they try it for the first time. Everything in our bakery is also egg-free and dairy free so we serve many people who have food allergies and appreciate having a safe place they can eat a sweet treat without having to worry about an allergic reaction. People come to us when they are happy and celebrating birthdays or when they are sad and trying to find comfort from a heartbreak.
No matter what is going on in their lives, our customers know we are here for them and we are “home.” There’s never a bad time for a scratch-made cinnamon roll that’s hot out of the oven!
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
We always try to surround ourselves with successful people. We have some very good friends that have mentored us and come alongside us over the years.
My advice for finding a good mentor is to seek out someone who has had success and ask lots of questions! Ask to meet with them. Take them to lunch and have conversations. Many conversations have ended up in partnerships and with successful people giving us great opportunities!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cinnaholicpigeonforge.com
- Instagram: @cinnaholicpigeonforge https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=3mz3f3gga7bu&utm_content=iohly6z
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cinnaholic.PigeonForge/
