Meet Arvin, Christina & Nina | Business Owners – Operating Officers
We had the good fortune of connecting with Arvin, Christina & Nina and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Arvin, Christina & Nina, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
From the beginning, we understood that owning a business would come with challenges, but we were driven by the desire to create something of our own, after acquiring the place—somewhere we could build our vision, set our own pace, and shape our future. Over the years, the experience has taught us far more than we anticipated: leadership, time management, customer care, employee relations, and above all, patience, and perseverance.
Equally important was the ability to keep our family close. Building a business together has allowed us to integrate our personal and professional lives—creating an environment where our children can be part of our journey and where family remains at the center of everything we do.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
We truly believe there’s no celebration without cake. Through our custom creations, we have the privilege of making life’s most meaningful moments even more memorable—not just through design, but through flavor and quality.
We also take pride in being inclusive. By offering options for various dietary needs—vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and occasionally sugar-free—we ensure that everyone can enjoy a dessert experience without worry. For us, it’s about bringing people together and creating joy, one cake, cupcake, or cup of coffee at a time.
Sometimes when things do not work out in our favor, risks need to be taken. Risk is an essential part of growth. While it can be intimidating and tricky, we believe that meaningful progress isn’t possible without stepping outside of your comfort zone and taking risks. A recent example is our decision to invest in a professional-grade espresso machine. Although we were a custom cake shop, we envision evolving into a full café experience offering savory options as well. This investment reflects our commitment to that vision—creating a space where customers can linger and enjoy, rather than simply pick up and go. We understand that not every risk guarantees success, but each one is an opportunity to learn, adapt, and move closer to our long-term goals all while staying positive.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
So much to do in LA that one week will not cover everything, however some highlights would be to visit
the Griffith Park Observatory and take a beautiful hike on the trails there. Visiting the Getty Museum and seeing all the historic artifacts, pieces, artwork there. Making a pit-stop at Malibu beach and driving down the Pacific Coast Highway. A historic and iconic cafe or restaurant we’d visit includes the Republique located in Miracle Mile or Café 27 on Topanga Canyon. We will end our week off by making a quick fun day trip to a MazeRoom, where we can work together to solve a mystery, and getting some extra bonding time, and lastly, visiting the Americana in Glendale where we can shop, dine, enjoy a nice movie and stroll around!
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Success is not inherited—it’s earned and built over time, regardless of if you started from the ground up or took over an existing establishment, which in our case we did. Our support system would have to be family, staff, and customers.
Our family and friends have played a vital role, both emotionally and financially, helping us stay grounded and motivated by always cheering us on. Family members have invested in us by monetary and non-monetary notions. Our friends support us by visiting the bakery, placing their custom orders, and spreading the word about our business.
Our staff always come to work prepared and ready to execute all tasks provided to them.
Our customer base for showing their continued support and loyalty — friendly and familiar faces we get to serve either daily, monthly, or annually.
A big thanks to them all for keeping us determined and successful!
Website: https://www.halfbaked.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/halfbakedco/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/halfbakedco/
Image Credits
Nanor Zinzalian (cake smash photo only)
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
