Piece of Cake
BUTLER TWP — Mary's Cake, Candy and Party Supplies in the Bon Aire Plaza is as cheerful a shop as the parties created there.
The colorful displays, candies, baking tools and wedding and party supplies that fill its shelves are a tribute to this labor of love. Yet, there is also a serious side to this family business.
After 35 years, Mary Ball and her daughter, Tina Villaire, have mastered the quick turns needed to compete with larger merchandisers.
“That's not always easy to do,” Mary said.
For example, when competitors offered Batman products, Mary's offered Superman. When others offered silk flowers, Mary's offered real ones.
“It's hard to compete with a big business,” said Tina, who is taking over from her mother. Mary recently sold two bridal shops and says she is near retirement.
“You have to enjoy it,” Tina said. “Butler is a great town for supporting small business. The customers know how hard it is to find a business like this. Customer loyalty keeps you here.”
Their knowledge of trends, methods and supplies also makes them a treasury of information for their customers, who come back for generations.
“Mothers pass what they learn onto their daughters,” Tina said. “My favorite part is the friendships with customers.”
Trendy now are cupcakes and cake pops, colored candies that match bridal ensembles and smooth, rolled fondant icing.
“It's a European icing, very sweet with a paste-like texture,” said Mary.
“You can create and mold things with it,” she said. “It's almost like working with Play-Doh.”
Other trendy items include cakes decorated with edible photographs, party supplies that feature “Angry Birds,” “Fabulous and 50,” “Monster High” and Pittsburgh sports teams and the ever-popular chocolate fountains.
“Tina knows how to do all these things,” said Mary, who has stepped back from day-to-day operations. “She knows her product inside and out.”
High-quality customer service is essential for success, Tina said. The shop's clients range from amateurs to professionals from Ohio, West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania.
Mary felt successful from the start, she said, baking and decorating cakes from her home on Route 38 where she still lives. She admits she had a knack for it.
“People came from everywhere to buy them,” she said.
Years of creating wedding cakes followed. Eventually, she moved her business to the Bon Aire Plaza, opening her first store. She followed her vision for a store that would include cake-decorating and candy-making products.Over the years, Mary tried different things, she said, including teaching cake decoration classes and at one point expanding to three locations. But she was unhappy with the way the businesses were run in her absence and so settled on the Bon Aire store.She recruited her husband, two daughters and two sons to help her.“They've all helped in the business,” said Mary, with Tina specializing in cakes and her sister Paula specializing in candy.“It's a way of life,” said Tina, who grew up working in the shop.“It's a desire,” she said. Anybody can grow up in a family business, but if you don't have a love for it ...”In fact, Tina's greatest challenge is balancing her work and personal life.Initially, women were Mary's only customers; housewives who spent their days at home with their children.“When wives went back to work, I could've given up but I didn't,” Mary said.Today, encouraged by television shows that feature male chefs, many men are also part of the customer base.“They see (cake decorating) on television and think, ‘I can do that,'” Mary said.To keep up with trends, the women travel to food, craft and party supply shows each year, they said. In addition, Tina is a member of the International Cake Exploration Societe.“You have to change with the times,” Tina said.One of their most popular items, cake pops, is a candy that looks like a lollipop and is a hit with children.Tina also helps customers create active birthday parties.“They're getting really creative,” she said. “They're decorating cakes and making candy.”
<B>Name: </B>Mary Ball<B>Address:</B> Butler<B> Employment: </B>Owner of Mary's Cake, Candy & Party Supplies<B>Family:</B> Husband, Larry Ball; children, Tina, Paula, Nadine, Larry and Danny<B>Interests: </B>Travel — she plans a trip to Ireland this summer with her husband to celebrate their 50th anniversary — spending time with her grandchildren and going to movies<I>‘Stepping back (from the shop) is a challenge, but it's rewarding to know it's in good hands.'</I>
Mary Ball, who has owned Mary's Cake, Candy and Party Supplies for 35 years, offers these tips for small business success:• Develop good people skills. Be dedicated, caring and a good listener• Know your product, understand it, promote it• Be willing to take risks and to change• Find out where your customers are coming from. What do they know? What do they want to do? Help them to achieve their goals• Love what you do because the days are long.
<B>Name: </B>Mary’s Cake, Candy and Party Supplies<B>Address:</B> 180 Bon Aire Plaza<B>Owner:</B> Mary Ball<B>Services:</B> Wedding, party and baking supplies<B>Employees:</B> Five to eight plus family members<B>Telephone: </B>724-285-4102<B>Quote:</B> “If there’s not a party going on, we’ll make one.” Tina Villaire, Mary’s daughter and store manager
