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Melissa Toro just wants a freaking place to bake her cupcakes and brownies.
The Miami native and owner of Meli Bakes has been looking for a commercial kitchen or bakery for almost a month without much luck.
“I’ve been trying to start my own baking business, and I was looking into what it would take, and I found out I would need to bake in a commercial kitchen in order to get my license,” Toro says. “I’ve been looking and it’s impossible. There’s nothing on the internet. I’ve contacted schools, churches, and caterers. It’s been really difficult.”
Toro grew up in Miami and went to school in Boston. In the past year she’s been trying to get a job in a lousy economy. “Basically I’m a housewife, not by choice,” she said. “I started getting into baking for friends. Now I’m obsessed with it. I dream about baking at night. I’m a hoarder of kitchen gadgets.”
Not wanting a little thing like lack of an oven to stand in the way of her sweet dream, Toro decided to take matters into her own hands.
She’s started the Commercial Kitchen Miami Facebook page, seeking out both independent chefs who are looking for kitchen space and business owners with kitchens they want to lease.
“I thought we could pool together our resources, so I’m trying to build a community. There are other people who are in the same boat, and I just want to get the word out so we can work together.”
Toro’s certain there’s a lonely kitchen somewhere in Miami, just waiting to meet her. Until then, this passionate baker will continue to bake and to dream.
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