Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Brown.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
If you had told me when I graduated from college in 2011 that I would one day own a bakery in Downtown Gresham, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.
I graduated with a degree in graphic design, but as I approached the end of college, I realized I wasn’t passionate about pursuing a traditional design career. Like many people in their early twenties, I found myself wondering what was next. During that season, I became completely fascinated with cake decorating. I started watching cake shows and was drawn to the creativity, artistry, and joy that came from creating edible works of art. What started as a hobby quickly became a dream.
Determined to learn more, I moved to California to work for a small home-based bakery. At the time, I had very little experience, but I was eager to learn everything I could. That opportunity gave me hands-on experience and a glimpse into what it looked like to turn creativity into a business. More importantly, it showed me that owning a bakery wasn’t just a dream, it was something that might actually be possible.
While I was in California, I had a conversation with my boyfriend at the time, Jordan, who is now my husband. I told him about my dream of starting a cake business when I returned home to Oregon. Without hesitation, he loaned me $500 to buy some basic equipment and get started. More than fifteen years later, we still laugh that it was probably the best investment he ever made.
When I returned home, my parents generously allowed me to convert the lower level of their house into a commercial kitchen. That’s where Sugar Cubed Cakes was born. It wasn’t glamorous. There was no storefront, no team, and certainly no guarantee of success. It was just me, a lot of determination, and a dream that seemed much bigger than my experience at the time.
The first several years were filled with long days, late nights, and countless lessons learned the hard way. I wasn’t just learning how to decorate cakes; I was learning how to run a business. I figured out pricing, customer service, scheduling, marketing, bookkeeping, and all the other things nobody tells you about when you decide to become an entrepreneur. Looking back, I often joke that I sacrificed much of my twenties to build this business. While my friends were enjoying weekends and vacations, I was delivering wedding cakes, answering emails, and spending countless hours in the kitchen.
Even through those challenging years, I always had a vision of opening a storefront someday.
That dream felt within reach in 2017 when I found a retail space and began the process of building it out. I was excited and hopeful, but things quickly unraveled. Halfway through construction, I ran into major occupancy and code issues that threatened the entire project. It was one of the most discouraging moments of my entrepreneurial journey. I had invested so much time, energy, and hope into making it work, and suddenly it felt like the dream was slipping away.
What I couldn’t see at the time was that God had something better planned.
A few months later, I was introduced to the owner of Bella Cupcake in Downtown Gresham. She was preparing for retirement and looking for someone to carry on the bakery she had built. What felt like a devastating setback suddenly became an incredible opportunity. I fell in love with the location, the community, and the chance to learn from someone who had already built a successful bakery. In January 2017, Sugar Cubed Cakes officially acquired Bella Cupcake and found its home in Downtown Gresham.
Since then, Sugar Cubed has grown into something far bigger than I ever imagined.
Of course, growth hasn’t always been easy. Like every small business owner, I faced enormous challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weddings disappeared overnight, uncertainty became the norm, and we had to quickly adapt our business model. That season forced me to reevaluate what really mattered. It taught me resilience, flexibility, and the importance of protecting my family and my mental health. It also reminded me that success isn’t measured solely by sales or growth. Success is building something meaningful while still making room for the people you love.
Today, Sugar Cubed is truly a family business. My husband Jordan and our daughters, Timber and Juniper, are all part of the story. What began as a small operation in my parents’ basement has become a bakery that serves thousands of customers throughout our community.
One of the things I’m most proud of isn’t the cakes we’ve created or the milestones we’ve reached, t’s the people. Over the years, we’ve built a team that feels like family. We’ve had the privilege of mentoring young employees, celebrating their successes, and watching them grow into incredible adults. Creating a workplace where people feel valued and cared for has become just as important to me as creating beautiful desserts.
One of the most unexpected blessings of owning Sugar Cubed has been the doors it has opened far beyond the bakery itself. What began as a dream to create beautiful cakes eventually grew into something much bigger, a desire to invest in and serve the community that has supported me every step of the way.
As Sugar Cubed became established in Downtown Gresham, I found myself increasingly passionate about the future of our city. Through my business, I had the opportunity to build relationships with residents, fellow business owners, community organizations, and local leaders. I saw firsthand both the challenges and opportunities facing our community, and I realized that my calling wasn’t just to build a successful business, it was to help build a stronger city.
That passion ultimately led me to serve on the Gresham City Council. Today, I have the privilege of helping shape decisions that impact the community I love. The same values that guided me as an entrepreneur, hard work, creativity, collaboration, and a commitment to serving others continue to guide me as a community leader. While I never imagined that cake decorating would lead me into public service, I am grateful for the perspective that being a small business owner has given me. It has taught me the importance of listening, problem-solving, and understanding how local decisions affect real people and families.
That commitment to community service also inspired one of the initiatives I am most proud of at Sugar Cubed: the Third Thursday Project. After years of being blessed by the support of our customers and community, I wanted to find a meaningful way for our business to give back. Through the Third Thursday Project, a portion of our sales is donated each month to a local nonprofit organization, family, or individual in need. What started as a simple idea has become a powerful reminder that even small acts of generosity can make a significant impact when a community comes together. One of the greatest joys of owning a business is having the opportunity to use it as a force for good. The Third Thursday Project allows us to support causes we care about, shine a light on organizations doing incredible work, and invite our customers to be part of something bigger than buying a cupcake or a cake. It reflects one of the core values that has shaped both my life and my business: we are blessed so that we can be a blessing to others.
Another milestone came in 2022 when Jordan and I were blessed with the opportunity to purchase the historic building that Sugar Cubed calls home. Becoming building owners was never part of the original plan, but it has become one of the most rewarding chapters of our journey. We have been fortunate to share the building with incredible tenants who bring their own talents, creativity, and entrepreneurship to Downtown Gresham.
Helping other small businesses launch, grow, and succeed has become a passion for both of us. We know firsthand how difficult it can be to start something from nothing, and there is something incredibly rewarding about creating opportunities for others to pursue their own dreams. Watching neighboring businesses thrive, celebrating their wins, and seeing Downtown Gresham continue to grow has become just as fulfilling as many of the milestones we’ve experienced within Sugar Cubed itself.
As I look toward the future, I often think about what comes next. My hope is that Sugar Cubed continues to evolve long after my chapter of the story is written. I would love nothing more than to see my daughters, Timber and Juniper, have the opportunity to carry this business forward if they choose to do so. Whether that means running the bakery themselves or simply preserving the values that it was built upon, I hope they can take what Jordan and I started and grow it into something even greater than we could have imagined.
As I look back on this journey, I’m filled with gratitude. There have been plenty of challenges, disappointments, and moments when I wasn’t sure how things would work out. But every setback, every closed door, and every unexpected opportunity helped shape the story.
What started with a $500 loan, a basement kitchen, and a dream has grown into a business that allows me to serve my community, provide for my family, and bring joy to people’s celebrations every day.
For me, Sugar Cubed has never been just about cake. It’s about creativity, community, faith, perseverance, and the belief that sometimes the most meaningful journeys begin with a simple leap of faith.
When I first started decorating cakes in my parents’ basement, my dream was simply to own a bakery. Today, that dream has expanded far beyond anything I could have envisioned. It has become about creating opportunities, investing in people, supporting other entrepreneurs, strengthening my community, and leaving a legacy of generosity, creativity, and faith. Whether through Sugar Cubed, the Third Thursday Project, serving on City Council, or mentoring the next generation of business owners, my greatest hope is that the impact reaches far beyond anything I could accomplish on my own.
The cakes may have been the beginning of the story, but they were never the destination.
The real dream has always been making a difference, and I feel incredibly blessed that I get to do that every day.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think my bio covers some of this. Getting from a home based kitchen to a store front was a huge hurdle. Taking something that I did on my own for so long and figuring out how to train other people to do the same quality and communicate with one another took years of system development and refinement. COVID was also a huge challenge, as most businesses faced closure we fought for innovation to stay afloat. The rising costs and people pinching their purses a little more these days has been an ongoing struggle we face everyday.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Sugar Cubed we bake our cupcakes fresh everyday and we rotate our 8 flavors every month. We do an assortment of classic cookies and sandwich cookies in the shop as well. What we are most known for is our artistic cakes. They are the perfect decoration for any celebration and although some are at a premium price we always try to offer an affordable option when possible.
I am proud of so much with this bakery, mostly it’s the people, from my staff to our loyal customer following, the fact that we get to be apart of so many stories from careers to milestone celebrations, to giving back to those in need I want to be recognized for providing joy through our treats.
We want to be know for our intentionality and our quality, baking fresh everyday in a bakery isn’t cheap and it isn’t easy but it’s a standard that sets us apart from others.
What does success mean to you?
Success is creating opportunities for others to thrive. I believe success is measured by impact, not achievement. If the people around me are better because of the work I’ve done, then I consider that a successful life.
Pricing:
- Mini cupcakes $25 per dozen
- Big cupcakes $50 per dozen
- 6″ Cake price range $50-$100
- 8″ Cake price range $60-$180
- Dozen assorted cookies $40
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sugarcubedcakes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugarcubedcakes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SugarCubedCakesBakery/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sugar-cubed-cakes-gresham
- Other: https://sugar-cubed-cakes-orders.square.site
