Meet Niallah Cooper-Scruggs | Pastry Chef & Owner of Sugar Queen Bakery

We had the good fortune of connecting with Niallah Cooper-Scruggs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Niallah, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
I don’t quite think I am successful yet, I know my business and I still have some growing to do, but I would say the main thing that has kept me grounded is prayer. Every time I have prayed over my business, God has truly come through in ways I couldn’t have even imagined. When I have hard days, I am reminded of all the blessings he has given my family and I and I am still in awe that He is not even done yet. I believe in God’s promises and I believe that He always delivers in His perfect timing. Having a community around me that also believes in prayer has been a big part of my grounding. Running a business is never easy, but I truly believe that when you surround yourself around people that are trying to acquire success and put God first, nothing can stop you. With God, nothing is impossible!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Looking back, when I was growing up and then going to culinary school, I would’ve never guessed it was my dream to own my own business. I saw how much would go into running a business, and I thought that it wasn’t for me. But, now looking back, I see how God created and molded my story so that I could feel comfortable and confident in running my own business. It took me working in restaurants for about eight years, and working at a restaurant where they flip-flopped about how they felt about me. One day it was Niallah, you are awesome, let’s promote you. Next day, it was Niallah, you are not doing enough for us, let’s demote you. So, instead of allowing this situation and many others during my culinary career to deter me from my dreams, I decided that I would pursue graduate school at Antioch University, to truly figure out what I wanted to do with my life and career. And as proof to show that restaurant that I was capable of running my own pastry business, I decided to start Sugar Queen Bakery. But, I didn’t stop there. I didn’t want this business to just focus on me, I wanted it to showcase local people-of-color owned businesses and farms for the ingredients and equipment I sourced for my cupcakes and artisan desserts. When I created Sugar Queen Bakery, I knew that I wanted to support the local economy and local BIPOC owned businesses because they were less likely chosen for opportunities and marginalized. It was my mom who gave me my first seed money to truly help my business grow. Without her support and even help with creating the name for my business, I wouldn’t be where I am today. When I first started my business, I was like, I need to have these expensive ingredients and these expensive tools. I did not always think to use my money wisely. If there was one thing I could teach my younger self, would be to take things slow at first, and then when God gives you the okay to continue investing and growing with your business, then it would be time to expand. I think now I am more focused on following His direction, versus allowing my own thoughts to deter my business where I want it to go. I want to be in God’s will so that I can truly grow and follow His direction. Now, I am focused on growing my business in Florida and allowing God to ground and direct my next steps!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I were to show my friends around town, I would definitely take them to the beach. I think Clearwater and Treasure Island Beaches are some of the best beaches in Florida. Then, I would take them to Wynwood to show them the local artists and markets in the area. I would take them to Pinch Kitchen, a local restaurant with great food and drinks in Miami. After, I would take them to Victory Restaurant & Lounge, a Black owned restaurant and lounge with great music and great food. The next day would be a massage at a local spa, then brunch, and then an excursion around the city. I absolutely love Green Street Cafe for brunch, my uncle actually took me there when I started my culinary journey at Johnson & Wales in North Miami. When I tell you the banana pancakes are BOMB, you definitely need to go and make reservations, because they get really busy. I would take my friend around the Coconut Grove area to explore local shops and artists.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate this interview to two big mentors in my life. The first one would be B.J. Stewart, who helped me in the beginning of my business. He coached me to a first-place win at a successful pitch competition with Urban Impact called Sharks at the Beach, where local business owners in the Rainier Beach area in Seattle go through a cohort and mentorship program that discusses all aspects of running our own business including marketing, costing, and even brand development. I am so thankful for B.J. really coaching me and teaching me not only proper techniques for my business, but also techniques of prayer and relying on God to help through all the ups and downs of running a business. I would also like to dedicate this interview to one of my newest mentors, Kevin Miller, owner of All Approach, who has really utilized some of his time and energy to coach my business at its current state of starting up in Florida. I am so thankful for our conversations where he reminded me that it’s not only important to put energy and time into our businesses, but also our emotional bank as well. This could include self-care, wellness, and just doing the things that make you happy to ensure that you’re not devoting more time to your business than your own well-being. I have a huge list of all the people that have helped me get to where I am now, and I also devote this to them as well. WIth out all my supporters and God, I wouldn’t be where I am today!

Website: https://thesugarqueenbakery.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugarqueenartisanbakery/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niallahcooperscruggs

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesugarqueenartisanbakery/

Image Credits
Most photos are provided by Tiny House Photo.