Welcome to our May ‘Business of the Month’.  We spoke with Isabel Santos of Tuga Bakery who told us all about her business selling delicious Portuguese pastries and breads.......

 

Tell us about your company?  When and where did you start? 

 

Tuga bakery is a Portuguese bakery that has opened in Bahrain 2 years ago. We are located in the Lagoon - 1st Floor- Amwaj Islands. We are open everyday from 9.00a.m. to 7.30pm. Tuga offers a broad range of traditional and daily fresh Portuguese pastries and bread.  We also sell our products to a number of hotels, restaurants and supermarkets.

 

What gave you the inspiration to set up this business?

 

I think the inspiration came from family and friends.  Also when I came to Bahrain 8 years ago, all the cakes tasted the same, so we decided that was nice to have something new here and why not the most famous and traditional portuguese cake named Pastel de Nata (a custard and pastry tart).

 

Tell us a bit about yourself, what did you do before setting the business up?

 

I was a teacher in Portugal. I came to Bahrain just for holidays and after 1 month I decided to stay for one more, and here I am after 8 years! Before I had this business I was doing my regular housewife routine! Just enjoying the time in Bahrain!

 

What have been the biggest challenges that you have faced?

 

The biggest challenges I may say is my location. When I came to The Lagoon, it was thought that  the shopping mall would be full by 2010.  It hasn’t turned out that way.....  Tuga was the first shop to open there and for 5 months we were there alone. But I thank all my friends and customers that supported us from the beginning and continue to promote my products every day!  The Lagoon is getting busier, which is great.

 

How does your company differentiate itself from the competition?  Who are your key competitors?

 

We are different from the others bakeries. First of all, we bake real Portuguese products, that you can not find here unless you go to Tuga. We have unique pastries such as our Pastel de Nata - that only the portuguese are able to do. Our bread, croissants, pastries are baked fresh every day. We don´t use pre-mix ingredients, everything is made by my baker, so the taste is completely different. Some of the ingredients we have to import from Portugal. My competitors are in general the others bakeries, but I can not say I have a real competitor because we are the only Portuguese establishment here in Bahrain and Middle East.

 

What has been your biggest success or achievement?

 

My biggest achievement was to put my products on the market and see the feedback of the people. They really enjoy the taste of them. I feel very proud when someone come to my shop just because someone told them that there they will find something good. 

 

What do you love about being your own boss, and what (if anything) gets you down?

 

I love being my own boss because I can manage my time. I do most of the things by myself so it’s much easier for me . 

 

 

Did you conduct any research before launching your company, to establish if demand was there?

 

Yes, I did some research in the market. I made a business plan. It took almost 1 year to decide to go forward with it.

 

How do you manage the day to day workings of your business?  Have you employed people to do the marketing, PR, HR, business development areas?

 

I manage my business by myself. I have the support of my husband that also, in his free time. I manage my employees, everything else is by me (marketing, daily accounts, paperwork ...).

 

What are your current marketing activities?  

 

I currently use mostly flyers and our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tuga-Cafe-Bakery/358490004174567 . We have also created an event at Tuga on Saturdays - we offer free a coffee/tea & a Pastel de Nata!

 

Which marketing channels do you find to be most effective?

 

I think Facebook is very effective. I can say that I had people from Dubai and from Saudi Arabia that came to buy our Portuguese sweets because they saw us on Facebook.

 

What are your best-selling products or services?

 

My best selling product is my Pastel de Nata. But of course all the other pastries and breads are also well accepted by the customers. I sell a little bit of everything because people like to try different things.

 

Who are your target audience?

 

My target audience is everyone, from families to retail shops, from hotels to restaurants. 

 

Is it challenging to juggle family commitments and a career?  How do you manage it?

 

Yes, it is a challenging. It is not easy to work outside every single day (because I don´t have day off! ) and at the end of the day take care of the house and family., but I try to manage it in a nice way.

 

What do you think has been the secret of your success?

 

I think our secret is the quality and uniqueness.  When people approach our place, they will find a cosy place, always a smile and unique tasteful pastries and bread.

 

What can we expect to see from your business in the future?

 

I hope I can expand my business. We are looking everyday to spread our web. I want to give Bahrain a `Taste of Portugal` - that´s why we work hard to manage all the obstacles to go forward. 

 

As an entrepreneur, what advice can you give to others wanting to set up a successful business? 

 

As an entrepreneur I believe the best advice to give is ‘never give up’. To open a business is not easy, but if you believe in your idea/your concept go forward, work hard, never let difficulties stand in your way. Just fight for the things you believe and you will be successful.

 

 

Visit Tuga Bakery on the first floor, The Lagoon, Amwaj Islands.