A passion for pastries and three years of serving up cakes to order and desserts to delight at the St. John’s Farmer’s Market (along with a little help from CBDC Cabot) has led to the successful opening of the Paradise flagship location for CakeyHand Dessert Factory.  

Anna Paytyan and her husband Suren Margaryan moved to Newfoundland from Armenia, where Anna’s passion for baking grew from baking treats in her kitchen as a side hustle in 2019. Four years later, the couple opened their first brick-and-mortar storefront on Topsail Road in Paradise, taking orders for high-end cakes and desserts, as well as serving takeaway treats.  

Margaryan says the goal is to make the best cakes and desserts in the province. 

“Having the freedom of deciding what to, when to do, how to do, how much to do. We own our time and while we work much more and longer hours than regular 9-5 employees, we enjoy it incredibly so much because again we work for ourselves and don’t have to follow someone else’s instructions,” Margaryan says.  

When you visit CakeyHand Dessert Factory, you’ll surely spot the multi-layered, beautifully decorated cakes and the cases full of stunning-looking (and tasting) cookies and pastries, but you’ll also spot the innovation in the business. Margaryan and Paytyan have started CakeyHand loyalty program, and they offer a selection of candles and even locally designed greeting cards to save you a trip to another store. They partner with Too Good To Go, a leftover food app, which helps reduce waste by selling excess products at reduced prices.  

Fast forward to 2024 and the plans of adding another great business model – a vending machine have been realized.

"The vending machine has been a fantastic addition to our business, allowing us to reach more customers conveniently. Since securing the loan, we’ve also expanded by opening two new locations: one at Stavanger Dr., which has quickly become a neighbourhood favourite, and another at Avalon Mall, where foot traffic has exceeded our expectations. Both locations are doing great and have helped us reach even more people with our cakes and treats. We’re incredibly thankful for the support that made this growth possible!"  - Suren Margaryan

CBDC Cabot helped the CakeyHand team take advantage of the Kick$tart loan program to fund the project. CBDCs throughout the province help small businesses like CakeyHand get started or grow, and we can help you too! 

Financial support for Kick$tart Loan Program is provided by the Government of Newfoundland & Labrador.