Dedicated. Gracious. Humble. Tenacious. These are just a few of the attributes of the founder and president of Ethel’s Baking Co.® (Ethel’s), Jill Bommarito, which have contributed to the success of this growing, privately held business. What stands out the most about Jill is actually much simpler, and more powerful; and that is her kindness. Jill enjoys connecting with prospects, customers, and business associates simply because she cares. Kindness encompasses integrity, courage, and human engagement, and it has been these qualities which have truly formed the platform for the growth of her thriving company.
Ethel’s story began in 2009. Unemployment had skyrocketed and consumer spending had plummeted. Jill was a successful real estate agent in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan watching the housing bubble explode, with vacancies spreading across entire blocks. While the economic downturn caused many to flee Detroit, Jill cemented her roots, aspiring to create a business which would positively impact her community’s economic recovery and future.
In December 2010, Jill hosted a Christmas dinner for her extended family, some of whom have food allergies and food sensitivities. Her aunt has celiac disease, an autoimmune disease which is triggered by the consumption of gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Jill decided to prepare a gluten-free meal that everyone could enjoy together. Past experience told her to be clandestine, so she wouldn’t be bombarded with complaints that gluten-free food was “bland and tasteless” Dinner was a success, with the crowd favorite being the pecan bars, today known as the Pecan Dandy Bars®. As the family gushed over the bars, it brought back memories of Jill’s grandmother, Ethel, an excellent cook who taught Jill to bake at young age. Later, as Jill was deciding her next steps in Detroit’s uncertain economic climate, the memory of this dinner led to the idea behind Ethel’s. She decided to launch a company that created great tasting, old fashioned, gluten-free baked goods while embodying her grandmothers high standards, ethical principles, and superior baking expertise.
In early 2011, Jill poured all of her time and resources into Ethel’s. She and her husband, Vince sold their home and invested their life savings, betting everything they had on Ethel’s success. Jill handled all aspects of the business herself, including the baking, marketing, deliveries, and finances. From the beginning, Jill sourced ingredients like eggs and butter locally to insure that Ethel’s delicious baked goods were made the old fashioned way with premium, tried-and-true ingredients.
Initially, Jill baked Pecan Dandy Bars® and Blondie Bars™ for a community celiac food fair where the bars were sold alongside local and national food companies and grocery chains. Grocers observed the high demand for the bars at the event and placed orders for their stores. The increase in orders warranted the immediate relocation of Ethel’s to a commercial kitchen located in a local church. Jill’s big break occurred when Whole Foods Market discovered Ethel’s at the weekly farmer’s market. At this point, Jill decided to expand Ethel’s physical footprint, and moved the company to a dedicated manufacturing facility. Shortly thereafter, Ethel’s lined the shelves of not only Whole Foods, but also a number of other national retailers. Market expansion created demand for new delectable deserts and Ethel’s answered with a product line which includes Ethel’s Cinnamon Crumble, Raspberry, Brownie and Turtle Dandy Bars™. All of these mouthwatering deserts can now be found at retailers throughout the United States and Canada or can be ordered online at https://ethels.com.
As business has grown, Jill has embraced product demand without changing her core strategy or deviating from her vision to make Ethel’s a household name. She plans to bring Ethel’s to every corner of the country by creating a sustainable path to profitability; keeping operations lean and efficient while continuing to build Ethel’s brand value with high quality baked goods. Jill discovered during her journey in the food world that very few females are found at the decision making levels. This realization inspired her to pay it forward by mentoring other women owners of startup companies in the food industry.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, heartfelt announcements about failing small businesses have swept across social media around the country. Thankfully, Ethel’s is not one of these businesses and instead, is thriving. On November 1, 2020, Ethel’s will take its biggest step away from its humble beginnings and relocate its booming business into a new, manufacturing facility that is over 8 times its current size with just under 20 employees. This is a huge leap that Jill likens to “going from a 20 foot speed boat to a 60 foot yacht.”
Jill is clear that Ethel’s would not be have achieved the success it has today without her amazing family; her husband Vince, a silent partner who handles numerous projects and decisions behind the scenes, her daughter Lily, a key Ethel’s employee, and her son Joseph, a constant a voice of reason and emotional support. The world may have changed abruptly due to Coronavirus, but some things in life never change. I have observed first hand how Jill continues to live life with enthusiasm, kindness, and humility; building genuine relationships and caring about the well-being of others each step of the way. Many years ago, Jill brought baked goods to school to celebrate birthdays or just to brighten someone’s day. Decades later, she mailed an Ethel’s care package to my daughter at Tulane University in the midst of the Covid crisis and Hurricane Laura. Jill is a shining example that great leadership begins with simple and intentional kindness. We have the privilege to observe Jill Bommarito as she uses kindness to effectively guide Ethel’s through its new challenges and take the baking world by storm!
As an update to my September 20, 2020 blog, Ethel’s Baking Co. shoots for the BARS, Ethel’s was recently featured in Rachel Ray Magazine as one of 10 unique Valentines Day Treats (Beyond a Box of Chocolates).
https://www.rachaelraymag.com/real-life/unique-valentines
Another exciting bit of news is that we can look for Ethel’s baked goods on QVC beginning in March!
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