The secret behind the success of Mr. Cake

Roy Fares has known since childhood that he wanted to spend his time doing something practical and creative. A home economics class sparked his interest in baking, and before long, he felt right at home with eggs, sugar, flour and frosting. He also had talent. In 2005, Roy won the Swedish championship for young bakers and also took home the bronze at the European championships. Since then, he has published several cookbooks and appeared on television, including as host of the TV show Dessertmästarna (“Dessert Masters”). Above all, however, Roy is driven by entrepreneurship. He loves to tackle new challenges – which is fortunate, because that is how Mr. Cake became a success.    

“I’ve spent a lot of time traveling in the US and I’m interested in making pastries and baked goods that are a little over the top. That culture didn't really exist in Sweden, and I wanted to go against the grain and start something new,” says Roy Fares.   

The idea for a café was born, and Roy contacted his friend Mattias Ljungberg to brainstorm and bounce around ideas. From there, everything went quickly. Mr. Cake opened in September 2017 and was an instant success. Already on opening day, there was a queue outside the shop on Rådmansgatan in Stockholm. Roy says there was a fair amount of hype, but that isn’t why people come back.  

“We dared to take a holistic approach from the start – from the pastries to the style, presentation, service, marketing and social media. While releasing cookbooks and appearing on TV has certainly helped, that isn’t why things have gone well for Mr. Cake. Our repeat customers are proof that what we make is good.”  

According to Roy, the three most important factors for success for Mr. Cake are the products, experience and service. Marketing is important as well, and Roy says they put plenty of effort into creativity, high-quality images and activity on social media. But what is the key to running a well-functioning company?  

“The most important and hardest part of running a company is getting everyone on board with the same spirit, mindset and vision – being able to convey everything from the pastries to the experience and service all the way down the organization. It’s important for everything to be rooted and to delegate, while constantly growing.”  

Growing quickly is a dream for many start-ups. And while Mr. Cake's success may appear to have skyrocketed, the journey hasn’t always been smooth.   

“When we opened in 2017, we weren’t prepared for the rush. We were understaffed and we were too slow. That process was really tough. When everyone is new and the concept is new, it's hard to never catch up. But we’ve also learned a lot. When we opened in Gothenburg, we were able to bring a lot of routines with us. We brought in experienced staff to support all the newcomers, and there was a completely different level of security from start to finish.”   

Roy agrees that growing sustainably requires walking a fine line. And while companies always want to grow, it’s important to pause and make sure everything in the periphery functions properly.  
  
“Growing sustainably requires a good organization. Structure and order are key. If you fail there, things get very messy.”  

No one is an island. And if Roy has realized anything since opening Mr. Cake, it is to dare to accept help and hire people with different skills. This is especially true as a new growth company, where it’s common to try to shoulder too much.  

“Of course, I could sit down with paper and contract questions and mix dough and make cakes. But that isn’t how to be a business leader. My vision is to keep the company moving forward. My role is to think creatively and come up with smart solutions while working on day-to-day tasks and having people help me implement them. It’s important to have the courage to accept help and trust others. Sometimes you might think you're the best at everything, but a good leader needs the courage to let go of control.”