Ravelin Bakery

Owners Eric and Pamela Helland

People talked about it in the dentist’s office. Comments were made about it in church. It was the major discussion item at the local barber shop. What incredible hot item had everyone’s attention? A new bakery in town that had wonderful breads and muffins, but didn’t serve doughnuts!

The new ‘rave’ in Denton, Texas was Ravelin Bakery, owned and operated by Eric and Pamela Helland. The bakery’s offerings include fine European-style baked goods, including exotic chocolates, delectable pies, stylish cakes, aromatic breads, and unique muffins, tarts and other baked goods -- but no doughnuts!

Eric Helland began his career as a chef 20 years ago in the hotel industry. After receiving formal training and working as a chef for about a year he sought additional training with European trained pastry chefs. So a strong European influence molds Helland’s business and product today. He has been the pastry chef for the Four Seasons and has participated in competitions in Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, and even Ireland.

He is currently working on securing an SBA loan for a new storefront on Highway 380 – a fast-growing area of Denton. The baking will all be done at the Locust Street location, but Helland plans to open several more stores over the next few years to sell the product north of the Metroplex area.

This business was in the planning stages for five years prior to opening. Helland drew up a business plan and brochures, and visited the SBDC for assistance. He was looking for a start-up loan, but soon realized it was tough to get money from a bank to fund a risky, start-up business, so instead he opted to cash in his retirement and borrow from family members to get his plans off the ground.
Helland is at the store at 3:00 a.m. six mornings of the week, and during busy holidays he usually has to start around 1:00 a.m. He prepares fresh breads and keeps other items in his store only a very short time. This serves to keep the quality and freshness of his product at a premium Any breads that are left over at the end of the day are donated to one of the local soup kitchens, including St. Andrews, Childrens Cumberland and the Denton Community Food Bank.Helland continues to look at ways to give back to the community and is currently working on some sponsorships for some local programs.   He is particularly interested in supporting the arts, so he’s exploring ways in which to best lend his support in those arenas.

Obstacles?   Well, the day-to-day production is a monumental obstacle in itself – keeping up with popular items, predicting what is needed for the day, meeting a steadily growing demand, and dealing with general operational challenges.   But their biggest obstacle was starting the business with their own resources -- about $30,000 and maybe that much again from relatives.   Working within that limited budget – so they bought equipment on eBay and at auctions, and they did a lot of the finish-out work themselves. After operating the first month and realizing business was staying pretty consistent, they hired two employees.   They now have six employees plus themselves working this business.   They’ve consistently maintained an increase in sales reaching 90 to 100% greater than that first, busy day of business.

After operating the first month and realizing business was staying pretty consistent, they hired two employees.   They now have six employees plus themselves working this business.   They’ve consistently maintained an increase in sales reaching 90 to 100% greater than that first, busy day of business.

After operating the first month and realizing business was staying pretty consistent, they hired two employees.   They now have six employees plus themselves working this business.   They’ve consistently maintained an increase in sales reaching 90 to 100% greater than that first, busy day of business.

The next growth phase, in addition to the SBA loan and the new storefront, includes trying a mail order business.   Some obstacles include interstate laws affecting food manufacturing and shipping.   Helland currently provides desserts and baked goods for some of the local restaurants, but he says he’s not interested in focusing on a wholesale business.   He likes the daily contact with the customer and providing a business that customizes his product to the customer’s desires.   Each customer that comes through the door is greeted by Eric.   His real specialty is a gift of making every customer feel welcomed and appreciated.   And they keep coming back for more!!

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