Sugar and Spice Bakery (sugar and Spice)

On May 5, 2016, Rosetta Kilbourne, owner of Sugar and Spice Bakery (Sugar and Spice), was planning for her business’s future. The lease on Kilbourne’s bakery, located in Strathroy, Ontario, Canada, would expire at the end of August. Operating the bakery had become expensive, and Kilbourne wondered if it would be financially feasible to close the bakery and focus on catering events full time.

STRATHROY-CARADOC

Strathroy was located 40 kilometres west of a major southwestern city, London (population 367,000), and was the largest community within Middlesex County outside of London.1 The town of Strathroy and the township of Caradoc amalgamated in 2001 to form the municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc (Strathroy). Of its 20,000 residents, 12,000 lived in the urban centre. Strathroy supported urban and rural areas with a range of businesses and industries, including agri-business, manufacturing, and logistical operations. With direct access to rail and trucking routes to the rest of southwestern Ontario and approximately 71 kilometres to the U.S. border, businesses had easy access to regional and international markets.2

Strathroy was home to Cuddy Farms, a global leader in producing and delivering commercial turkey eggs and poults.3 Each June, the town hosted Turkey Fest, a weekend event including a midway, carnival games, a turkey-calling contest, a battle of the bands, an antique car show, and a poult petting zoo. A popular event for the residents of Strathroy, the festival also attracted visitors from London and other towns within Middlesex County.

Rosetta Kilbourne

Kilbourne had always had a passion for baking. From a young age, she had created her own recipes, which her family thoroughly enjoyed taste testing. Her dream had always been to open a bakery of her own, but she feared financial instability and the risks of becoming self-employed. After graduating from college, Kilbourne accepted what she thought was a secure position working as an administrative assistant for a security company based in London, Ontario. During the spring of 2007, Kilbourne was laid off.

The Purchase

While Kilbourne contemplated her next steps, a small bakery, Sugar and Spice, was for sale in her hometown of Strathroy. The bakery served classic desserts, soups, and sandwiches and was open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kilbourne decided she had put her dream on hold for long enough; with financial help from her father, Kilbourne purchased the bakery and opened in September 2007 as a sole proprietorship. The bakery was well known and had a good reputation within Strathroy, so Kilbourne kept its existing name and hours of operation, but altered the menu to include a wider variety of lunch and dessert options. Kilbourne also continued to employ the bakery’s existing full-time employees.