Fel’s Kitchen has taken doughnuts to a whole new level and after more than two years in business has found its niche on the local market.
The business is owned by Felicia Amin-Alfred. Her husband, Kenrick, does the deliveries, helps when she is tired of kneading dough and responds to customers on social media.
The idea for a doughnut business was sparked after family and neighbours tasted Felicia’s doughnuts and raved over them.
“The first time I made doughnuts, I made the cream-filled ones for my husband and myself. I didn’t realise that the recipe would yield over 20 pieces, and this was definitely too much for just two persons. I shared it with my extended family, neighbours and I asked my friends on Facebook who would like to have the extras and those that replied got them,” Amin-Alfred said.
“The feedback was nothing short of amazing and most people asked if I would make it to sell. I seriously considered it, created my logo and sent to print, bought the packaging and the next Sunday I made a batch and posted on Facebook. The rest is history, as they say.”
While marketing began on Facebook, the entrepreneur also has an Instagram page. Both of her pages are equally active though Amin-Alfred pointed out that the difference between the two social media accounts is that her Instagram page has attracted the younger market. Yet, much of her growth was as a result of word of mouth.
The entrepreneur who is also a Digital Marketing Manager for clients in the US shared that being experienced in this area, she can control the growth and reach of her doughnut shop on social media.
“My business operates a tad bit differently than regular businesses,” she said. “One major difference is that I don’t have a telephone number for orders, all communication is done via direct message on social media. I also have the most digital payment options of any small businesses I know currently, and this is super convenient to customers locally and internationally. My favourite part of the business is order fulfilment. I am most proud of being able to create unique looking and great tasting products that put a smile on my customers’ faces.”
Though her husband is her designated delivery driver now, Amin-Alfred shared that when her business first started, she did the deliveries. She reminisced about the joy she felt when she saw how happy she made her customers. Every now and again, she delivers a few orders just to relish in this joy. Nothing in her business brings her more delight than her customers’ happy faces.
“…There is so much joy in knowing that my creation has put a smile on someone’s face or satisfied a craving,” the entrepreneur contentedly said.
Unlike most small businesses, Fel’s Kitchen did not have any challenges at the beginning, the entrepreneur said. She spent the first few weeks of operations filling orders from family and friends, and business took off from there.
However, with Fel’s Kitchen becoming more intricate and artistic in designs, there was a challenge sourcing packaging and ingredients locally at an affordable cost. This led to the business purchasing from overseas to ensure quality.
For Amin-Alfred, having her own business is living her dream. As a girl growing up, she knew she would someday own her own business like her parents. Then, when she was a teenager, she wanted to be a banker. The entrepreneur enthused that she has been able to live both her dreams as she worked in a bank and now runs her own business.
Being an entrepreneur, she gets to enjoy working at her own schedule. Flexibility is of great importance to Amin-Alfred, who is a mom. She also enjoys being innovative and introducing new products to the market, getting to learn new techniques and create new products, meeting new people though that’s limited to online for now, but more than anything else, the entrepreneur loves being able to make people happy with her quality and unique products. She posited the last of the listed advantages as a rewarding feeling.
Fel’s Kitchen doughnuts are handmade, with the help of cutters. The designs are authentic while the theme or colour combination is left up to her customers. However, 90% of the time, they leave it all up to her to work her magic. For this reason, she adopted the hashtag #yousawitherefirstgy (You saw it here first Guyana) on most of her posts.
Highlights
Fel’s Kitchen doughnuts are works of art one might imagine that Amin-Alfred had an eye for art. That was never the case, she chuckled, adding that because her art skills were not on par, while in secondary school she elected to do Technical Drawing. In fact, when she started the business, she was only making cream-filled doughnuts. As time passed, she gained more confidence and following research and testing, Fel’s Kitchen began offering glazed and subsequently, designed doughnuts.
Today the business also fills orders for doughnut holes and doughnut bites, classic and filled doughnuts in regular and mini sizes, and letter doughnuts.
Amin-Alfred said, “[My] cream-filled doughnuts [have] a soft, fluffy shell, filled with a smooth vanilla cream. On occasion, based on availability, I also offer a Hershey’s chocolate cream filling. Doughnut holes are done in a serving of 35 to 40 pieces and are served with a
Hershey’s chocolate dip. Mini doughnuts — I offer an assorted mini 12 and 16 pack. This can be a mix of filled and classic, filled only or classic only with various toppings and glazes.”
Fel’s Kitchen doughnuts are the highlights at numerous occasions including birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, and anniversaries. Birthdays top this list for the most orders. Some customers do not wait for an occasion to treat themselves; they place orders whenever they are craving a Fel’s Kitchen doughnut.
Fel’s Kitchen also offers DIY Cookie Kits during the Christmas, Valentine and Easter seasons.
To efficiently fill orders, Amin-Alfred works with a quota system. Once she reaches a certain capacity, she stops accepting orders. However, she hopes to expand operations to accommodate more orders. Fel’s Kitchen does not have a storefront nor does the entrepreneur plan on ever having one.
With titles like entrepreneur, Digital Marketing Manager and mom, Amin-Alfred certainly has her work cut out for her. Taking on all of those responsibilities is really a matter of being organised, she pointed out. “I honestly can’t say that I work 24/7 as an entrepreneur and this comes as a result of me being organised. I make myself available on my business pages between 9 am and 4 pm. I’ve also made it as easy as possible for customers by having all the business information on my pages in the event that I am not there to reply right away. I keep my business [on] social media separate from my personal pages and this allows me to have a [balanced] work-life [and personal life]….being a mom of 3 kids, all currently under 5 years old,” explained Amin-Alfred.
However, there are times when it can consume, like when Amin-Alfred took on the biggest order to date for 300 assorted doughnuts. This was back in August. To finish them in time for a 1 pm send off, she started at 1 am and managed to complete the order at 12 pm, an hour earlier.
By no means is entrepreneurship easy, but getting to do what she loves is worth it, the woman noted. As such, she encourages aspiring entrepreneurs, “If you have an idea and the capital, or means to get it, then do your due diligence and go for it. Even if you fail, whatever you learn can help you be better the second time around. Having a business and serving customers is a continuous learning process; we learn from every experience, be it good or bad. Also, it is okay to know when you’re at capacity so that you can maintain your quality. Stretching yourself too thin can lead to burnout. Lastly, take breaks when you can.”
Production is done at Enterprise, East Coast Demerara and delivery is offered to customers from Enterprise to Brickdam, Georgetown. However, orders have been placed by customers living as far as Linden, Berbice, Bartica and along the Essequibo Coast. In these instances, the orders are delivered to people known by the customers living along the delivery route, who then take on the task of getting the orders to them.
To follow or place orders, persons can connect with the business on Facebook at Fel’s Kitchen or on Instagram as @felskitchengy.
