Assisted by ASBTDC Lead Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Consultant Nicolas Mayerhoeffer
From Food Truck to Full-Service Restaurant, ASBTDC Guides The Croissanterie’s Growth
Call it fate for croissant-making chefs to work with a French-born consultant on their business startup.
Wendy Schay and Jill McDonald began their journey into entrepreneurship by selling fresh-baked croissants, breads, and pastries at the Hillcrest Farmers Market on weekends. They came to the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center wanting to scale up their business, which they named The Croissanterie, to a food truck.
When the pair reached out to ASBTDC in January 2020, they connected with Nicolas Mayerhoeffer.
Nicolas, an ASBTDC business consultant, grew up in France. From his first sample, he recognized The Croissanterie’s baked goods as “a taste of home.”
The chefs met at Pulaski Tech’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute, where they trained and worked as instructors. Both have decades of experience making delicious food. Jill has a catering background, while Wendy is a pastry chef. But they had never owned or operated a business before.
Mayerhoeffer worked with them on their business plan, financials, and market research, helping them secure a startup loan for their food truck. The truck was ready and rolling by the end of 2020, and “flakey friends,” as they call customers, flocked to its different locations around the Little Rock metro area.
One of their signature dishes became “Le Burger,” a hamburger with locally sourced ingredients served on The Croissanterie’s unique croissant bun.
Ready to add a brick-and-mortar location, Wendy and Jill turned again to Mayerhoeffer and ASBTDC in 2021. He guided them through every step of their expansion, including financing, and worked with them on their marketing strategy as well.
Their west Little Rock bakery, patisserie, and cafe opened in March 2022 at 14710 Cantrell Road.
In this video, the chef-entrepreneurs explain how ASBTDC helped them conceptualize and grow The Croissanterie.
For hours and other information, see The Croissanterie website, www.thecroissanterielr.com.