Jennifer Mellard began Gold Coast Traditions in 2012 in Prairieville as a cake bakery. She knew she didn’t want to sell baked desserts forever, but at the time, taking advantage of Louisiana’s Cottage Food Law, the business was an opportunity for the 35-year-old mom to learn how to own and operate a business.
On the home front, she and her family began transitioning into a healthier lifestyle. As her family became healthier, she began tweaking her cake recipes to be healthier as well.
In 2017, she decided to rebrand the business. She stopped making cakes, moved into a Baton Rouge facility and opted to sell organic dry mixes instead of cakes so families could have healthier options.
By that summer, she released her first product, an organic whole wheat pancake and waffle mix—the same recipe she crafted for her own family.
Last September, Mellard rolled out three new products—a classic pancake and waffle mix, oat muffin mix and cornbread mix—and she has plans to release an additional three mixes in 2020.
Read the full Entrepreneur feature from Business Report for more about how Mellard is growing her business.
