The first time I went to Blue Bird Bake Shop on Corrine Drive in Orlando, I was instantly impressed with the overall aesthetic of the business. The pale blue, chocolate brown and white color palette is spot-on with the type of business it is. I loved not seeing the typical pale pink and chocolate brown route so overused these days in similar businesses. The small, hexagonal tiles, mismatched chairs, Carerra marble, 1930's vibe with a modern-retro edge via the light fixtures, wallpaper, and rough-hewn wood is refreshing and aligned with the surrounding neighborhoods of Winter Park, Audubon Park, Colonialtown and Baldwin Park. Every single detail from the exterior signing to the interior decor and finishes, the packaging (aka the bakery boxes), the menu, etc. are consistent and all speak to each other beautifully. On top of that, their cupcakes are amazing, as are their other delectable treats. Their owners and staff are warm, friendly, knowledgeable and proud of the product they offer. In addition, the business is as clean as a whistle, and I cannot tell you how loudly cleanliness speaks to customers about how well a business respects its clientele.

 

On my very first visit, I asked one of the owners, Joel Profgner, if he and his partner, Jeff Lambert, had professional help with the decor and overall aesthetic of their business. After all, it takes one to know one, and those of us who work in aesthetics as a profession can easily separate the amateurs from the professionals. Joel simply said, "no." What Joel failed to tell me on that visit, but shared with me on the next, is that he is indeed a design professional. He is the regional visual display manager for Anthropologie (located in Milennia Mall here in Orlando.) He oversees all of the northern Florida stores. He seemed to forget for a moment that while he is not an interior decorator or designer by trade, he is in fact an esteemed professional in the field of aesthetics. He gets major kudos for his work on his very own bake shop along with the incredible culinary skill of his partner, Jeff, who may as well wear a halo as his little bakery masterpieces seem to have come down from heaven.

 

There are plenty of local businesses that get one facet right, but go down with the ship because they miss the mark big-time on the other facets that make a business successful. I am a huge fan of the show, "Kitchen Nightmares" with world-class chef, Gordon Ramsay. In a nutshell, he is as good as it gets when it comes to professional chefs and restauranteurs. On "Kitchen Nightmares," he goes into small, locally owned, failing restaurants who request his help in seeing why it is they are failing. He zooms in on the problem(s) and then helps them turn things around. Sometimes, the staff is the reason they are failing. More often than not, it's the food. In almost all cases, it's the atmosphere of the restaurant, whether it's just plain dirty, uninviting, or doesn't quite fit with the type of food served there. Most times, it's all of the above. There was one particular restaurant I saw Gordon Ramsay visit in England where he is from. It was a local pub in a great neighborhood and location. While Gordon had some suggestions for improving the menu and plating presentation, this particular pub's food wasn't as much of the problem as most of the eateries that call on his help. However, the restaurant was filled with broken chairs, rocking tables, a disgusting old floor, and florescent lighting. The owner felt that the food was so good that he did not need to work on the aesthetic of the place, pointing out that there are dives all over the world that do well based on their food alone. Gordon Ramsay's answer to that was very direct as he has no tolerance for lame excuses. He told the man that because he did not care what his place looked like and only about the food, he only knew the few customers who had been coming to his pub, but he would never meet those who were not.  I was so impressed with how he made that point so concisely. In doing so, he convinced the owner to move forward with a professional makeover of the restaurant, and he also convinced him that his decor, general aesthetic, signing, etc., and his food were not in sync, which was only confusing the clientele. Once the changes were made, business increased ten-fold. After Gordon worked his magic, the owner then did get to meet the folks who had visited the pub only once or who had been avoiding the place altogether because the aesthetic was so off-putting. Gordon Ramsay was spot-on with why this pub was failing. Never underestimate the power of atmosphere. It has a voice that speaks loudly without saying a word.

 

Back to Blue Bird Bake Shop. After all, this article is all about them. If you are ever in the mood for a fresh, moist cupcake with just the right amount of icing, a muffin, scone or brownie, and a cup of organic coffee in a most pleasant atmosphere, stop by Blue Bird Bake Shop on Corrine Drive in Orlando. You will never forget the cupcake you ate. You will never forget the owners and staff, and you will feel your business is appreciated and respected when you see and feel the attention to detail that went into creating this wonderful slice of heaven. Blue Bird Bake Shop doesn't just get the cupcakes right. They have the recipe for a successful business down pat. Kudos to Blue Bird Bake Shop. You have securely placed another diamond in the city's crown. Take a bow. You've got it right, and you get a big "A" for atmosphere!