Yummy Finds of Victoria, Texas is BYPPO's first official national restaurant partner! Our team had the chance to interview Courtney, the owner of Yummy Finds this past week.
Courtney's said that the reason to continue serving her community even after COVID-19's impact was heavily reliant on her loyal customers and her belief.
Tell us about your restaurant and it's history.
Yummy Finds of Victoria, Texas
Yummy Finds is a small sandwich shop/bakery/cupcakery. We have been open for 11 + years now! We serve salads, hot sandwiches, cupcakes, & other sweet treats. We have tested and approved for our menu approximately 30 plus cupcake flavors over the years. We are known for our moist & tasty cupcakes, strawberry shortcake, & yummy hot sandwiches.
What inspired you to open Yummy finds?
My mother and I owned a little boutique that had closed its doors in December of 2008. My mother and I are both RN's (nurses) and knew of another nurse whose parents were opening up an Antique Shoppe/Cupcakery here in Victoria.
I was interested. One, because we had some cute items left from the Boutique that we wanted to sell, and two, because I loved to bake! I was 27 at the time, married, had one little girl, worked as an ICU nurse in the hospital, and also preparing for the entrance test into med school. Well, why not? I decided to take on another small job a day or so out of the week at this new antique shop/cupcakery when it opened up in November of 2009.
Yummy Finds Cupcakes
Three months later, the sweet lady that hired me decided that she was either going to close Yummy Finds for good, or sell it. Her original plan was to get it up and going and then sell in five years, but that came much sooner than expected. I knew I really wanted to do it, but I still wasn't quite sure how. I was about to take the MCAT, so the med school or run a business? Well, I bombed the MCAT, which I am not embarrassed to say lol... This made my decision easier and confirmed that I would be taking over and running a business for a season in my life.
How has COVID-19 impacted you and your business?
We closed down on March 15th of 2020 and re-opened our doors 8 months later on November 17th. I believe these are new beginnings for another season. I am grateful that our building and property are paid for so we do not have that overhead to worry about. My heart goes out to those who have been affected. We have been effected in some ways, but we are ok. We are going to bounce back! We already hit the ground running when we re-opened the doors.
Yummy Finds Cupcakes
How did you and your restaurant overcome the pandemic?
We re-opened our doors and were welcomed with open arms. We are so very thankful for all of our customers. We are grateful that we have the opportunity to build rapport with them. We love them dearly.
What separates you from the other bakeries in town?
We believe that we have a very unique set of menu items unlike any other bakery in Victoria, Texas. We have been told time and again that the atmosphere in the building when a customer walks through our doors is like no other restaurant they have encountered in Victoria.
Yummy Finds Sandwich
What's your favorite pastry at your shop?
Tough one..... I love them ALL!!! Here are a few... one that we have had around since nearly the beginning is our Honey Bee cupcake! It is a vanilla cake injected with Pure Honey, topped with a Honey Cinnamon Buttercream. Yummm! Another is our Strawberry Shortcake in a cup! This is made with our moist vanilla cake, our version of a chiffon cream, topped with fresh strawberries! It has been a favorite among our customers. One other is the Amaretto Cheesecake in cupcake form! Again, I honestly enjoy them all! The inspiration for our cupcake (and sandwich) flavors comes from the flavors & foods that we love:)
How did you find out about Byppo?
During the pandemic, as we made plans to re-open, we looked for ways to adjust to the change. We knew that we would have to change our style of service to return to business. At that time, and even now, restaurants are not at full capacity. I was hoping to somehow find a way to have an app like Chick-Fil-A does where you can place an order, pay, arrive, put in your curbside number, and voila! So I went to google and clicked on a link that took me to a clip from the San Antonio news. This short video was all about Byppo being used in some San Antonio restaurant for curbside! So I searched Byppo out and contacted Victoria, & here we are today! :)
Byppo's Gainesville local restaurants
How is your experience with Byppo so far?
Great so far! I am thankful to have the opportunity to be able to share it with our customers.
How do you feel about the recent transition to online platforms?
I believe it helps us run more efficiently. Many people today, and even more so during the pandemic, want to continue social distancing, so this is a very helpful way to continue to accommodate these customers.
What are your future plans for Yummy Finds?
Future plans... I have had dreams of franchising out:) We will see what God has in store for Yummy Finds in the seasons to come!
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