Today we’d like to introduce you to Manal Hussein.
Hi Manal, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I loved baking growing up, but it was not until I was about 18 and met my now husband that I took it more seriously. We would hang out and watch Food Network shows and you know what they say, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach!” So, I would experiement and make him goodies inspired by the shows we would watch like Cake Boss and Cupcake wars. I went to school for marketing management unsure of what I would do, but eventually landed a marketing job for a pharmaceutical company. At the same time, I would still bake on the side and built a side business from home. After a few years it sort of took over and I made the very difficult decision of quiting my full time job and pursueing baking full time.
After a few years it grew and I had a friend reach out to open a store front! I wanted to open in Detroit because it had my heart. I went to school in Detroit, my parents taught in Detroit, and I was born in Detroit!
We opened in Midtown and now have a bakery offering so many sweet treats and coffee! We offer cookies, brownies, custom party cakes, wedding cakes, french macarons, lattes, flavored milks, and more! We even have vegan and gluten free options!
We have a space in Garden City as well that I teach decorating and baking classes called the Sugar Studio. I wanted to teach all of the things I had to learn along with way and create a space where others can do that and have fun!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth ride and I am not sure it ever will be. We were open for a few years and the first few years for any new business is difficult. But, once we started figuring things out, COVID hit and that of course was a whole other obstacle. And then we had to navigate inflation and figuring out how to move forward. All the meanwhile, I became a new mom and had to manage all of the above at the same time.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We specialize in custom cakes, wedding cakes, desserts, and coffee! We make everything from scratch and some of my recipes have been 15 years in the making. I am always trying to make things better and better! I take pride in that, knowing you won’t be able to get anything like our product anywhere else. For example, we offer a Matilda cake that is a chocolate cake with black chocolate buttercream. It was inspired by the movie! It is our most popular thing we sell. What is great is you can even get in a vegan or gluten free version as well!
You can even get a full vegan or gluten free wedding or party cake!
Our syrups for our coffee/lattes are make from scratch and another product I take a lot of pride in. We are always trying to make something new and fun with whatever we do, whether it be a cake, french macaron flavor, or latte!
Another thing that sets us apart is we offer baking and decorating classes as well! I opened our Sugar Studio in Garden city almost 2 years ago and you can learn different tips and tricks from cake decorating and filling to cinnamon roll making and baking. We have adult classes, kids classes, and private party options!
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I struggle on the daily. Sometimes I may seem like I have it all figured out or put together, but owning a business and being a mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, etc. It is extremely difficult. If I excel at one part, I feel like something else is lacking. If I feel like I did a great job as a mother today, then maybe I was not able to do what I needed for work. Or vice versa. Maybe I had a great work day, but I was not as present for my children. It’s rough, but all in all, I believe it is worth it and anything worth something is going to be a challenge.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fortheloveofsugar.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fortheloveofsugardetroit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FortheLoveofSugarDetroit
