Meet the Mom & Daughter Duo Behind One More Bite Bakery
There is always that dish or recipe that no one can quite make like mom can. Some spend their whole lives trying to duplicate it at family gatherings and pass on to their children to carry on. For Jessica Vasquez-O’Malley of One More Bite Bakery, her mother’s baking was it — pies, cakes, cinnamon rolls, and everything in between.
She knew there was something special about the way her mother, Victoria Vasquez, approached ingredients and made it her mission to help make mom’s side gig of catering and cake decorating into a full operating business. Jessica was working retail at the time but always had a knack for pie making and baking as a kid. She decided to take everything she had learned from mom and attend a baking trade school for two years — you could say the table was set for success.
Victoria Vasquez has been a natural businesswoman for well over 23 years. Her love of cooking and baking she learned from her mother. Victoria Vasquez has been a natural businesswoman for well over 23 years. Her love of cooking and baking she learned from her own mother. “She not only taught me great skills, but her encouragement of my talents gave me confidence with me today. I tried to pass that on to my children,” Victoria said.
Seven years later, One More Bite Bakery preps and bakes out of our Fuerza Local Community Kitchen in Downtown Mesa, sells at various farmers markets across the valley, and is looking to open up a storefront soon.
“My advice to anyone starting a new business, find your niche, start small and love what you do.”
Jessica (front) & Victoria (back) Vasquez of One More Bite Bakery baking pies at the Fuerza Local Community Kitchen.
And then COVID-19 fully struck in Arizona, the mandatory shutdowns affected many micro-enterprises across the valley, but especially those that depend on foot traffic and large events for a majority of their sales.
One More Bite Bakery was quick to adapt to the “new normal” and has continued to sell at farmers markets that remain open and helping to bring fresh, local foods to communities across the state. One More Bite Bakery was also able to receive a grant from Local First Arizona through the Small Business Relief Fund.
“Like many businesses we were worried about how we were going to survive especially with what was suppose to be our busiest season coming up. We were able to buy the groceries we needed to still work and other bills we had to pay for our businesses. It might seem to be for the little things, but that’s what our expenses are, the little things. We had also loss the help of our one employee, because he had to stop working for the health and safety of his family. We were able to use some of the grant to give back to him,” Jessica said.
Well, they’re still in action and ramping up for a pretty special day — Mother’s Day. Celebrate the strong, entrepreneurial women all across Arizona by purchasing treats from a one-of-a-kind small, women-owned business.
Jessica Vasquez from One More Bite Bakery.
Mother’s Day Specials
📍 Find them at the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market and Gilbert Farmers Market!
🥧 Order a specialty pie by 8PM on Thursday, May 7, and receive three free cookies with your order. You can text (480)258-0020 to do so. Large and personal pies available.
Pie flavors available: Key Lime, Apple, Pecan, Triple Berry, Strawberry Rhubarb, Coconut Cream (large only), Blueberry Crumble (large only)
Other treats: Carrot Cake Slices, Bread Pudding and Cinnamon Rolls!
Take a peek at their Instagram or Facebook to see their amazing designs and treats.
Best thing about being a mom & daughter duo? The worst?
Jessica: Best thing about working with my mom is that she’s an amazing baking teacher and also always ready to help and learn. She’s constantly trying to come up with the best way to complete a job and loves to find out more about baking. The worst, I’m a procrastinator and she’s a planner so sometimes we have different ways of doing things.
Victoria: We never run out of things to talk about. She is the best friend a mom could ever have, period. We work so well together because she is the creative mind and I love all things. The worst is we are in each other’s heads. “I was just thinking that” is a common thing.
If you could have only had one bite of any pie for the rest of your life, which would it be?
Victoria: Berry Crumble. There’s something about that buttery biscuit topping together with that fresh fruit when you get that first that taste. And the flaky crust is so good — that would be the one.
Jessica: Strawberry rhubarb! Or blueberry! Or banana cream! I’m not very good at choosing, that’s why we created the wheel of pie, 6 slices of 6 different flavors. That’s more my speed!