Hello dear friends,
I’m reaching out to address what may be the biggest threat I have ever faced in my industry and as society as a whole.  I’ve been trying to navigate the pile of cancelations going into the next couple of months here the best I can and with the understanding that for everyone’s health and safety, I need to be as accommodating as possible without loosing everything that I have built over the past 7 years.  This may be just the tip of the iceburg for small business like mine and I am working daily to problem-solve and creatively-think my way out of this.
The margins for my business (and for any food business) are slim as it is, I work cake check to cake check( like many folks in the events and restaurant industry) and subsist on deposits for up-coming events to get me through the leanest months.  I pay the majority of what I earn to rent a clean commercial kitchen space to keep my business legal and above-board.  I do this because, even though it does not provide me with a stable or easy life, I love what I do and I cannot for the life of me imagine doing anything other than this.
That being said, I wanted to reach out to let you know a few things about my business that you may not already know.  This is a business of one person, me!  I do not have a brick and mortar location but work from a shared kitchen space which I share with one other business in my neighborhood, which has two full-time employees.  We pride ourselves on the cleanliness of our space and have always worked within the guidelines of standard ODA sanitation and cleaning practices.
We have upped our sanitation practices over the past two months while news of Corona virus has become more and more threatening.  We typically work one business at a time in the kitchen space and rarely, if ever, are in there at the same time.  We sanitize all surfaces several times during shifts and sanitize all knobs, handles and doors when we use equipment and enter and exit the building.  All orders are received without any outside delivery people entering the kitchen space and we have little to no foot traffic throughout our building that is not of those using the kitchen as renters (3 of us).
There is no space that is open to the public that is attached to our kitchen currently and we enjoy the luxury of having such a clean, respectful and easy to manage quiet place of work.
I have always delivered all of my own orders and will continue to do so for those of your who have decided to continue booking with me (thank you!). I am happy to deliver to your front porch, back porch or garage to limit face-to-face interaction and text you when I get there. The food that I make for you is only ever touched by me and I rarely leave my home and work environments (which are in a three block radius) unless I’m dropping off your order. I wash my hands constantly when I work and just in general (as most food industry workers will tell you, it gets drilled into your head military-style), wear gloves when appropriate, and am, in general a healthy and super clean person.
All cleanliness and limited public-interaction aside, I understand that there will be cakes and weddings that get canceled this year.  I am urging my clients to continue the booking process with me in hopes that we can either reschedule or reduce the size of their event if this viral spread lasts into the summer.  
I’m praying that the corona virus will be wiped out if we all take the time over the next few months to use social distancing practices, hand-washing and possible shelter-in-place ordinances to stay healthy and safe and to stop the spread of this horrible virus.
I’m doing my best to survive this as a super small business of one and need your help in communicating your needs going forward.  Please let me know as soon as you can if you wish to cancel your order or need to reschedule a large event such as a wedding.  These are such hard times for the food industry and my hope is that with creative problem solving, rescheduling and communication we can limit the blow to already suffering businesses like mine.
I so appreciate all your kind words and continued support in these trying times, I know that we are all scared and nervous about the future and what it holds for us.  The best I can do is to keep making you beautiful food to celebrate with, to keep growing my garden and making art and trying to brighten peoples’ lives with my work.  I’m filled to the brim with gratitude to all of you who have chosen to work with me and and just crossing my fingers that this virus does not spread into the summer and fully effect our up-coming season of events.  
If you are looking to support me, you can always order a Cake, or Pastry Share or Cookie Box and get it delivered no-contact.  Sending love to you all,
Anna