Business: Peter’s Kitchen
Address: Naperville
Website: www.peterskitchen.org
Owners: Migdalia and Mark Sotir, both 60 and Naperville residents
Years in business: Two
What does your business do? “Our son Peter makes and sells baked goods, cookies, bars and cakes,” Migdalia said.
What’s the background? “Peter has had significant medical difficulties which have resulted in developmental challenges. … When Peter was born, we knew from the get-go he had significant developmental issues. … He had difficulty achieving milestones. … He had a severe food aversion. Couldn’t keep food down. For many years, we struggled keeping him afloat. … He was tube fed,” Migdalia said.
“This was a very, very long process. I stopped working to take care of him and address all his medical issues. So, I started to try to move his development through different strategies. One of them, of course, was trying to get him to start eating,” Migdalia said.
“He started slowly eating, started having more food exposure. … The more we went through that, the better he started getting. He started eating more, tolerating more foods,” she said.
Why did you start this business? “I decided to put everything together like fine motor skills, learning to plan, to think ahead. By middle school, we started having kids from his school come and volunteer (baking). We’d do a day of sale where we sell anywhere from 1,300 to 1,500 treats, including cookies. … Everyone had a station,” she said.
“The first year, a couple hundred people showed up (to buy cookies),” Mark said.
“We said, ‘You know what, we’re really onto something here,’” Migdalia added.
How has it helped your son? “Peter practices everything that’s therapeutic without knowing that he’s in therapy,” Migdalia said.
“It’s part of his life,” Mark said. “This is his business. He works. He gets paid. He makes a list of what we need at the supermarket.”
“The idea behind it is that Peter has to plan ahead, pick out the ingredients, measure, mix, read the recipes, have patience, contact the people who are ordering. He has to greet them,” Migdalia said. “it’s a wrap-around situation which really works well for him.”
How do you find customers? “Word of mouth mostly because we don’t advertise. Because we have repeat customers, there’s a sense of community. People come here and take pictures with him. It’s really a lovely experience for them and for Peter. … We also have a newsletter we sent out to people,” she said.
What prices do you charge? “The bars, usually 24 bars are from $25 to $42. Cookies, sometimes $18 to $20,” she said. “It varies.”
Where do you find recipes? “We have old family recipes. We’re going to introduce a rum cake from my mother’s recipes, and some seasonal treats,” she said.
Does Peter bake by himself? “No. He has a manager, a baker who helps him. This has progressed over time,” Migdalia said.
Which high school did Peter graduate from? “Naperville North. He’s been mainstreamed from the start,” Migdalia said. “We want him to be part of the community.”
Is Peter happy with the business? “He is. When his two older brothers are here, he talks with them about his business. He takes them out to Portillo’s, treats them to dinner with the money he earned. … He enjoys it. A couple years ago, we asked him what he wanted for Christmas. He said, ‘a mixer,’” Mark said.
Where do the cookies go? “People order cookies for open houses, for parties, treats for weddings and showers. Peter also brings cookies to the Naperville Cookie Walk. He will be providing the treats for Karisma (Boutique) on the next cookie walk,” Migdalia said.
Any future plans? “I would like Peter’s Kitchen to be something people think about for gifting to others who are struggling with being caretakers to people with long-term special needs. To make a note of supporting them. … It’s very hard work. 24/7 many times. This is not like a sprained ankle. It is for life. It’s a marathon of dedication, energy, time. … Maybe a gift to someone, a pat on the back,” Migdalia said.
What is your favorite cookie? “Chocolate,” Peter, 21, said.
What do you think of your business? “It’s growing. I like to bake cookies,” Peter said.
When does Peter bake? “Throughout the week,” Migdalia said.
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “You have to take into consideration your employees, as well as having a great product. Based on our feedback, everyone loves everything we produce. That’s encouraging,” Migdalia said.
“It’s way harder than you think. It takes longer than you think,” Mark said.
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see profiled in Down to Business, contact him at [email protected].
