We had the good fortune of connecting with Daphne Subar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daphne, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Subarzsweets has always been a dream that was just waiting for “the right time.” Before I launched Subarzsweets, I was a lawyer for over 25 years, doing my best to juggle my work schedule while also raising my three daughters. Even though I was always busy, I somehow always seemed to find time to bake. I never made the same thing twice – whether it was making brownies for my daughters to bring along for school potlucks, or making a cake in a crockpot for my own family to enjoy as a special treat. I was always baking, and always baking something new.

When one of my daughters was in third grade and working on a school project, she printed out a photo of a bakery with the words “Subars: All bars, one bakery” on it, and stuck it up on the refrigerator. That flyer remained there for many years, always a reminder of something that I could do one day. While I enjoyed the law profession, I also enjoyed baking. I would experiment with recipes, finding ways to make delicious treats that accommodated dietary restrictions and food allergies, and making treats that were for specific holidays and seasons.

When my oldest daughter was considering pursuing a career in theatre, I told her to go for it – that the most important thing was for her to pursue her passions and follow her dreams. That is something that I had always told my three daughters. Then, one day after overhearing me tell others how important it was for my daughter to follow her passion for theatre, they reminded me of that bakery of dreams stuck on our refrigerator door, and asked “but what about yours?”

So, I decided it was time to make a long-time dream a reality.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I wanted to create a unique baked good that was different from anything else available. So, I headed to the kitchen, and began experimenting with the flavors and ingredients that I knew so well to come up with something that combined the crunch of biscotti with the sweetness of a cookie. I didn’t want anything as hard as biscotti but I wanted to preserve the texture of biscotti/mandelbread. I also wanted a fun product and once Subarz were created, I knew that I could expand beyond just the original Traditional Chocolate Chip and began to have fun playing and combining lots of unique flavors and creating Salted Apricot Caramel Subarz, Gotcha Matcha Subarz, and Apple Trilogy Subarz.

The journey started with some small investments – purchasing the basic elements I needed to start a bakery out of my kitchen and setting up the business side of my bakery. It was a lot of packaging, labels, website-making, shipping equipment, chocolate, flour, and an abundance of hard work and passion for what I was doing. To start, I launched just one flavor and I started baking Subarz to order. Many of the same people who had enjoyed my baked goods – at school potlucks, at Passover seders, and even around our own dinner table – were the first to put in orders online. Soon enough, more people were enjoying my Subarz, and the circle of people who loved these tasty treats continued to grow.

Subarzsweets has always been a dream that was just waiting for “the right time.” It’s been six years. It’s not just me anymore – I have a hard-working team and have transitioned to a commercial kitchen with baking assistants. We have over 20 varieties, including gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free options, seasonal flavors for holidays such as “BooBarz” for Halloween, and in the spring, we make many of our classic flavors kosher for Passover. You can buy Subarz in a variety of package sizes – and if you really love them as we do, you can join our membership program or sign up for our custom subscription program and have Subarz delivered automatically to you or someone you designate monthly or quarterly.

Subarzsweets is unique in many ways and we strive to help our clients with all of their gifting needs. We have developed and perfected a unique baked good that ships easily and is perfect for gifting. We have created a lovely gifting experience for both the sender and the recipient, personalizing each gift with a handwritten note. We provide amazing customer service and stand behind our product and the service we provide. This has never been easy, but by remembering the frustrations we felt in sending and receiving gifts, and listening to our customers and their needs, we have established a perfect solution for the need to send personalized and appreciated gifts.

 

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting, there would be so much I would want to show them! First, a visit to the beach would be absolutely necessary, and we could picnic in Malibu or visit Malibu Farm or Malibu Cafe. A hike through Fryman or Runyon Canyon would also be a fun activity, followed by coffee or lunch at the Sportsman. I would take them to K-town and we could visit one of the malls and dine at the Korean food court. We would also head over to Santa Monica, rent bikes, and head down to Venice on the bike path. I love living in Los Angeles, and love sharing all that it has to offer with my friends.

 

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?
There are so many individuals that I could dedicate this shoutout to. First it was my three daughters who encouraged me to follow my passion and led by example. Second, it is my husband who is a successful entrepreneur and business owner himself who has supported me and Subarzsweets since I launched the business in 2016. Lastly, my sister Noga and my sister-in-law Nicole have been my “silent supporters” every day during this journey. I have bounced ideas off of each of them and have succeeded thanks to their support, honesty, and love.

 

Website: https://www.subarzsweets.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/subarz/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daphne-subar-003203100/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/subarzsweets

Image Credits
Maryellen Baker Photography, Lynne Lainer Photography, Devon Hayakawa, and Ariela Subar.

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