Carole Crema discusses entrepreneurship, mistakes and closing her store after 23 years
- On the NXT, the pastry chef looks back on her creations, discusses excesses in gastronomy and explains why she closed a business that was still working
Closing a business that is losing money can be a necessity. Shutting down a successful operation, on the other hand, requires a different kind of decision. That is what Carole Crema did when she closed the store that carried her name after 23 years. Speaking on the NXT Podcast, the pastry chef explains that the decision did not mean abandoning the business, but changing its format: focusing on a factory.
“I closed one corner because I want to be on every corner in Brazil,” she says.
Carole says one of the mistakes that cost her the most was believing that making a good product would be enough to run a business. For years, she says she devoted more attention to the kitchen than to areas such as management, finance and profitability. Today, with professionals dedicated to running the company, she says she is entering a new phase of the business.
When a mistake becomes a product
During the episode, Carole criticizes the tendency to turn every product into something “gourmet” and argues that good ingredients and proper execution matter more than adding complexity.
The pistachio craze also comes up in the conversation. In her view, the ingredient still has a place when used with purpose, but the trend has lost momentum after pistachio began appearing in almost every type of product.
In the end, her defense of the classics connects with the phase Carole is currently experiencing herself: simplifying. After decades of moving at a fast pace, perhaps her next challenge is exactly the opposite. Asked what her next move would be that nobody would expect, she replied: “Doing nothing.”
Watch the full NXT Podcast episode
