Miami-Based Jarly Delivers Fresh-Baked Pastries to Your Doorstep

Imagine a nondescript brown box appearing on your doorstep. Now picture it filled with freshly baked goods such as breads, cookies, brownies, and other pastries. No, this isn't a dream. It's the creation of Jarly, a Miami-based startup that delivers a box of baked delights made by local artisans right to your doorstep.

Customers can choose one of two subscription plans — a box delivered once a month ($20) or twice a month ($40), plus a $5 delivery fee. Each box is filled with five to seven items from one featured local baker. Bakers change from month to month, so subscribers won't encounter the same one twice. 

"The idea is you get to experience a different baker and all new treats every time you get a delivery," says Steve Aitken, cofounder of Jarly. "It gives it that element of surprise."

Goods are delivered the first Thursday of each month. They're made that morning and are best when eaten within three days. Previous boxes have included dark-chocolate cookies, red velvet cupcakes, pistachio crisp muffins, honey cakes, triple chocolate brownies, and sweet and soft blueberry scones.

"Everything is really fresh," Aitken says. "Bakers usually make everything in a commercial kitchen or the bakery that they already work out of."

The majority of Jarly's subscribers are in Brickell — a mix of businesses and private residences — but the company delivers across Miami. 
Aitken and cofounders Alan Christiani and Jose Manuel Rivera built Jarly after meeting in business school in San Francisco. "We worked on a few projects together and realized we love working together," Aitken says. "At the time, Alan's wife, Paula, was about to graduate culinary school and wanted to start her own baking business but didn't know where to start. So we thought maybe we could help."

After the trio created the business model, Jarly was accepted into Start-Up Chile, a startup accelerator that helped iron out the kinks and perfect the model. Then, about six months ago, Jarly beta-launched in Miami. 

"When we graduated, we all had separated," Aitken says. "Jose was in Chile. I was in San Francisco, and Alan and Paula moved to Miami. But we decided it made sense to go where Paula was because she was our entrance into the baking world."

Paula was Jarly's first baker. Now they have 13 and plan to add others as the company grows. "The upside for the bakers is they end up getting customers who maybe wouldn't have heard about them," Aitken says. "If you love what's in the box, you can just contact them directly."
Since its launch in August, Jarly has steadily grown. Aitken says they've found Miami to be great for a startup like theirs. "The ecosystem here is relatively small and incredibly supportive," he says. "Everyone seems to want to help each other and grow. Miami is really starting to get a buzz in the startup scene."

Jarly's goal for 2016 is to continue to build its user base. "Growing subscribers is our main focus, but we're also looking for more talented bakers to add too," he says. "We definitely intend to pour gas to fire and actively try to grow our user base much more now."

For Valentine's Day, eaters can send a box to themselves or a special someone for $30. Expect a brownie, red velvet chocolate chip cookies, vanilla bean biscotti, rosemary pecan shortbread, mini palmiers, and guava poundcake with cream cheese frosting. Visit jarly.me/valentines.

For more information, visit jarly.me.

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