potrero view

August 2009

Small Bakery Rising on Potrero Hill

By Noah Arroyo

Almost two years ago Baked. Cakes, Sweets and Treats replaced Petite Patisserie in the small space located at 1415 18th between Connecticut and Missouri streets.  Before opening the business, co-owners Tina Fisher and Andrea Ortega thought that “there was no way we could own a place,” according to Fisher.  But when they got the green light to move in, the couple jumped on the opportunity.  “We had no plan, going into it.  In terms of business ventures, we probably did the whole thing backwards,” she said.

Baked offers scones, muffins, tarts, and a host of other freshly-made treats. It specializes in custom and individual cakes, with Ortega applying her artistic hand to decorations.  The bakery regularly fashions holiday goodies; for the fourth of July it offered cookies and cupcakes with red, white, and blue sprinkles.  

One weekday morning, Fisher, who has yet to acclimate to her crack-of-dawn work life, pointed to an array of cherries, peaches, and nectarines, all of which were purchased at the Noe Valley Farmer’s Market.  As the seasons change, so too do the fruits the bakery relies on.  Baked gets its flour from Giusto’s Vita-Grain in South San Francisco, and its chocolate from Burlingame-based Guittard’s.  No preservatives are used in any of the bakery’s products.  

Because their workspace is so tiny, Fisher and Ortega have to be as efficient as possible.  “It’s manageable,” said Fisher.  Without a freezer, the duo must be selective about “what” and “how much” they offer customers.  For example, Baked willingly caters for “small events,” said Fisher. “Two hundred or less people, we can usually do.  We will always try to do whatever we can to make it happen.”

When Fisher and Ortega arrived in San Francisco a decade ago they took up comfortable residence in the Castro District, and remained largely ignorant of the Potrero neighborhood.  Now perched at the top of the Hill, along one of the community’s main commercial strips, they’re pleased with the easy-going nature of the neighborhood and its residents.  They frequently interact with other local businesses, particularly Farley’s, which is located up the street at 18th and Texas streets. “We don’t make bagels or croissants,” confessed Fisher. “If a customer wants one, we send them up the street. They do the same for us.”  According to Fisher, this is all part of the Potrero Hill philosophy: “keep the business going on the Hill.”

Fisher, who is from Southern California, started her professional life as a banker working with nonprofits, including the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).  Her work brought her to San Francisco, where she stayed after GLAAD closed its offices.  Having been a hobbyist in the kitchen, in 2002 she went back to school to further develop her culinary skills.  After working as a restaurant line cook for three years, she became a pastry chef for another five, during which she worked at South-of-Market-based Town Hall.  Her time there inspired her to imbue her creations with the rich level of care now characteristic of Baked’s pastries.

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