Founder Grit Rambusch grew her business Crumbles and Cream from the Catapult Kitchen Incubator into her very own brick-and-mortar. Located in downtown Plant City, her new 1200 sq ft. space includes indoor seating, Austrian coffee service, and even glass paneling so visitors can watch Grit bake her authentic German pastries.
“I’m able to offer hospitality in my business now that I have a store. I can offer seating and interact with the customers more, and I get to be a part of the downtown community on Main Street,” said Grit.
Trained as a pastry chef in Germany, Grit came to the US and initially worked at a winery and event management before transitioning back into baking. Crumbles and Cream started at the Celebration Farmers Market then came to Catapult in 2019 to get their license.
In the spring of 2020, when the pandemic hit, Grit decided to fully pursue a brick and mortar location, and on March 31 of 2021, they opened their new location.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO START YOUR BUSINESS?
I am a pastry chef by trade and when I moved to the U.S in 2016, I started my business to get out into the community and get a feel for the demand. When I wanted to grow my business, I found out that I needed a license, and that’s when I found the Catapult Kitchen.
WHEN DID YOU KNOW IT WAS TIME TO TRANSITION OUT OF THE CATAPULT KITCHEN INTO A NEW LOCATION?
I reached full capacity in Catapult and knew I needed to invest in a bigger car, new equipment and more space. I knew I could sell more but I did not have the means to do it. I also always wanted to add coffee, tea and savory items to the menu, so my own space gave me this opportunity.
WHAT ARE SOME WINS FOR YOUR BUSINESS SINCE MOVING OUT OF CATAPULT?
- We were able to add some new menu items
- We found our space after a year of searching
- We are now able to be in the store five times per week
HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO HIRE ANY NEW EMPLOYEES?
Yes, we now have three employees to help with customer service in our new store.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RED UMBRELLAS IN YOUR SPACE?
The red umbrellas are from Julius Meinl, the Austrian coffee brand we serve. They were gifted to us for the shop.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD/BEVERAGE ITEM THAT YOU SELL?
Our Austrian coffee is my favorite. I love introducing this style of coffee to the community, as well as fresh local ingredients with little sugar in our pastries.
WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS?
We want to increase our volume to sell and to hire someone to help in the kitchen since it’s just me (Grit) doing the baking right now. We would even like to start making deliveries around town!
Store Address: 113 S Evers St., Plant City, FL 33563
Store Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 7:30 AM-3PM
Square Footage: 1200 square feet
Business Launch Date: 2016
New Space Launch Date: March 31, 2021
