Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Rainey.
Hi Andrea, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In June I will have been a nurse for 18 years. Working mostly in intensive care units, both with adults and pediatrics has been a challenging career physically and emotionally but I wouldn’t trade my experiences for anything. It has shown me that life truly is both precious and unpredictable. There came a point where I needed to step back from my role at the bedside and consider what I wanted for my own life to feel fulfilled.
Baking and sharing my creations with others has always been a source of balance and joy for me. Bringing smiles to the faces of friends, family and co-workers was the ultimate reward. Opening a storefront bakery has been a dream of mine for a long time and I’m so thrilled to be taking the steps towards making it a reality.
I’ve played around with names for my dream bakery for years. I wanted something smooth and clever but more importantly meaningful. Morning Rounds is the name that holds the most meaning for me and I feel best fits my pursuit.
If you are not familiar, “rounds” is a term we use in the hospital for when the doctors, nurses, social workers, respiratory therapists and patient families gather around the bedside each morning to check in on and discuss the patient’s condition. We collaborate on what the appropriate plan of care for the day will be and encourage the patient and family to ask questions and voice any concerns they may have. It is a pivotal point in the day, a time when many minds and hearts work together to ensure each patient gets the individualized care and attention they deserve. I hope the name Morning Rounds can be a reminder to take a moment each morning to check in on each other, to check in with ourselves and a reminder that working together is how we do the most good.
Healthcare workers are a unique crowd- bound by their desire to help, to do good, to make a difference. They are overworked, and often under-appreciated. A twisted sense of humor is often a first line of defense on days when they are really feeling heartbreak, frustration and defeat. And they always come back the next day because if they don’t step up and do right by these patients who will? I feel it’s important to give a nod to the healthcare workers in the area by making sure my doors will be open at a time that fits their early morning shift obligations. And don’t think I’m forgetting the night shift, I could never! The bakery case full of fresh pastries will be waiting for them when they get off shift. Being close to several area hospitals was also important in choosing the location for the bakery, and Crossroads seemed perfect with its proximity to Children’s Mercy and University Health-Truman as well as its vibrant art and restaurant scene.
Kansas City was always going to be the home of the bakery. I’ve grown up here and seen the community at its finest. The support and excitement people here have for both food and small business are unmatched. I can’t wait to be a part of that! I’m excited and terrified at the same time about taking this leap, but if I never tried I’d always regret it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Walking into this endeavor with zero entrepreneurial experience has been a challenge for sure. I’m grateful to have found wonderful mentors and advisors along the way. The Small Business Development Centers, both Kansas and Missouri branches, have been amazing free resources. They have walked me through writing a business plan and mapping out the financial aspects of starting a business as well as connecting me with other small business owners, accountants, legal advisers, and beyond. I would highly recommend their services to anyone whether you’re just starting out or knee deep in running a business already.
Because the space in the Crossroads was previously a jewelry studio, a full kitchen buildout was required. Morning Rounds is currently in the middle construction and permitting, which is taking longer than I’d hoped. Nailing down an opening date is a challenge but we are making slow steady progress and I’m hopeful to be open by mid-June.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m primarily a self taught baker with a few classes here and there. Most recently a Viennoiserie course at the San Francisco Baking Institute to learn the art of croissants and other laminated pastries. I love all baked goods, but croissants are my favorite, there’s just nothing like that buttery, flaky melt in your mouth experience. It is important for me that croissants be central in the pastry case at Morning Rounds, so I’m working hard to perfect the craft.
Both of my grandmothers loved to bake and would let me help in the kitchen when I was little. Though they had drastically different approaches to baking, I like to think I absorbed the best parts of each.
I’ve always loved baking Christmas cookies in particular, and for 12 years have gone all out baking dozens and dozens of batches to create pretty packaged gift boxes for friends and family, some delivered on doorsteps or others shipped across the country.
Morning Rounds bakery will specialize in boutique style cakes, cookies, croissants and pastries that will be made from scratch in house and include full espresso service. One of my favorite items in the case is the Vanilla Bean cake which is a decadent vanilla almond cake with a ribbon of vanilla bean buttercream adorned with berries or edible flowers. As far as a signature item, the Cinnamon “Blisskit” is pretty special. A mix between a scone, a biscuit and a cinnamon roll, it’s crispy on the outside, a little gooey on the inside and layered with cinnamon sugar goodness smothered in a vanilla bean icing. The salted chocolate chunk cookies and brown butter rosemary shortbread are favorites amongst my taste-tester friends.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I really can’t think of anything
Contact Info:
- Website: https://morningroundsbakery.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/morning.rounds.bakery
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AUFUhHgZf/?mibextid=wwXIfr
