Finding good employees is difficult for any small business, and for Sweet Cheeks, although we create delicious and make happy memories all day, every day, we too have difficulty.  So, when we find an amazing employee that works as hard as ever for the business, well that person deserves recognition!

Krista Lautenbach was our first hire.  She has been with us for five years, our longest-tenured employee.  When she started, we all enjoyed days of leisure lunches and a workflow we could handle!  With her relentless help, though, Sweet Cheeks has gone from two (2) of us in a tiny space to twelve (12) of us in our very own kitchen!

She began her career with us as a part- time/temporary employee, working as a baker’s helper, otherwise known as a “cake slave.” Yet with the passing of years, Krista evolved into Sweet Cheeks‘s Lead Baker (A.K.A. “Master Sugar Shaker”).  She helped Sweet Cheeks Baking win the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars!

Besides her talent in the kitchen, Krista received yet another promotion, and currently, she manages our Sales department.  As the Sales Manager, she hunts down many local chefs and charms them with her wiles and good looks.  As a result, she has added numerous San Diego-based businesses to our extensive list of new wholesale accounts.  Our clients, which include a few fabulous kitchens, are: Loew’s Coronado Bay Resort, Del Mar Fairgrounds, SD Convention Center, Estancia Hotel, L’Auberge Del Mar, Omni Hotel Downtown, Marriott Marquis, Manchester Grand Hyatt, and many more.

We celebrated her 5 year anniversary with a little cake, made in her favorite current flavor of Champagne Butter Cream (of course her “favorite” changes weekly)!  We also treated her to a spa package, thanks to the amazing team at La Costa Resort, with her new, personalized hoodie robe.

San Diego Baking

We are so honored to have Krista as a member of our team, and our tokens of appreciation are only a small reflection of the respect we have for her, both as a person and an employee.  Our business grew because of Krista, and if it wasn’t for her help, we would not have survived the onslaught of craziness when we suddenly found ourselves getting multiple orders without multiple hands to help make & deliver them.

Ode to Krista

Some of the photos above are courtesy of  Heather Elise Photography.  They capture a special Sweet Cheeks Anniversary day at Sycuan Resort, inspired by Krista, where she envisioned a perfect world of “Champagne Buttercream Madness.”   With careful planning and an open mind, we created one of the world’s greatest inflatable fun days – “The Buttercream SLIP-N-SLIDE!”  Lathered up in buttercream and racing down at top speed, we all dove into the inflatable slide, make our way down the river of water, only to end up in a pool of watery icing! Amazing.

  Life sure is sweeter (+ more fun) having Krista around! 🙂  Thank you, Krista, for 5 great years of service, coyness, and fun!