Fort Worth baker starts second business from scratch
Beaming from ear to ear in the 1960s-era picture is then six-year-old Jana Rae Morris with her prized present from Santa: a Suzy Homemaker oven.
She’s been whipping up her made-from-scratch culinary creations ever since.
It’s only natural that the little girl from Kansas would grow up and open what’s becoming a dining destination for cheesecakes, cupcakes and cookies.
Nestled in the Foch Street Showrooms between Seventh Street and Lancaster Avenue right in the thick of a commercial and residential building boom, j.rae’s is celebrating its first year this month, and business is on the rise, says the baker/owner.
“We’re all grown up now,” said Morris, 49. “It was scary to start this during an uncertain economy and with all the construction going on around, which made it hard to get to us, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always liked to bake. I only wish I had done this 20 years ago though.”
Sugar and spice are clearly in her blood. Morris used to make and sell cookies in high school, even placing ads in the school newspaper. With no formal culinary training, she began experimenting with cheesecake recipes when she later lived in Houston. After 200 attempts and field trips to New York City and Los Angeles bakeries, she finally discovered her winning recipe: a cheesecake perfectly blended with shortbread and cream cheese – no expense spared on the flavor or the calories. Morris began selling her now signature cheesecakes wholesale to local restaurants.
“Whenever a recipe failed or a cake would come out of the oven with a crack in it, I would go to a chef and ask how to make it better,” she said. “I’ve never been afraid to ask questions.”
Morris established herself in Cowtown as owner and operator of Mudpuppy, a children’s clothing and accessories consignment and resale store she ran for 12 years. The shop already had been around for about 25 years when she bought it in 1993.
“I really didn’t know much about the resale business but it was just what I wanted at the time,” Morris said. “When I saw it, I knew I could change it and make it better.”
Morris continued making and selling cheesecakes to several Fort Worth restaurants while running the store. She sold the shop in 2005 to one of her former employees and began planning the bakery.
Settling into the 4,000-square-foot building became a family affair. Morris’ mother made the aprons and curtains to match the distinctive black-and-white striped décor, her father made the shelving and her three older sisters arrived in town to help set things up.
“I really wanted to be in this area,” Morris said. “It’s the up-and-coming area of Fort Worth, I think. I’m glad we moved in here although the space seemed so big at first. We’re already growing into it as business grows.”
The entrepreneur has added extra workspaces, a full-time baker along with two other full-time student-employees and three part-time helpers. As her wholesale business expands into more restaurants, Morris expects to add more prep spaces and another kitchen area, if needed, she said.
“We’re so busy now with cupcake and cookie orders I don’t have time to call on restaurants for the cheesecakes,” Morris said. “I’m surprised how quickly the cookie orders have taken off with businesses and corporations. Businesses have caught on putting their corporate logos on the cookies. It’s a great way to advertise and get your name out there.”
The large iced cutout sugar cookies that can be customized with logos or names range from $1 to $5, according to size and decoration request. Currently, the cabinets are stocked with cookies in the shapes of black cats, spider webs and goblins.
Traditional cookies are $1.50 each or $16 a dozen and come in five flavors: chocolate chip, chocolate chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodle and peanut butter.
Cupcakes, piled high with cream cheese frosting, are $2.50 each or $28 a dozen and come in chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, coconut, carrot and red velvet. The bakery is just starting to offer a seasonal pumpkin flavor. Cheesecakes come in three sizes, priced from $10 to $39.
The bakery’s offering of children’s birthday parties also is quickly catching on, said Morris. A group of eight kids at $25 each can come in and decorate their own sugar cookies. The bakery currently sells T-shirts and Morris plans to add her mom’s handmade aprons for the kids as well as her own brand of cake decorations.
“I used to play golf a lot but now I’m too busy to play. I’m so busy I don’t miss it. That’s a huge statement,” Morris said. “This is hard work, especially the physical part of it, but it’s so much fun. It’s the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever done.”
