Great Event

Our First Depot Days: What We Learned, What Surprised Us & What Comes Next

This past Saturday, Faragalli Pastries packed up what felt like half our kitchen and headed to Depot Days in Smyrna.

We had spent days baking, packaging, labeling, planning our display, and trying to anticipate what thousands of visitors might be looking for. We brought familiar favorites, fall flavors, Italian-inspired treats and several new creations we were excited to introduce.

We thought we were prepared.

As it turns out, you can prepare for an event—but you can't predict it.

Some Surprises Behind the Table

One of the biggest lessons from Saturday was that a large event doesn't necessarily mean every part of the event receives the same amount of foot traffic. Our area didn't see nearly as many visitors as some of the busier sections, and that definitely affected the day.

But the customers who did stop taught us a lot.

Some things we expected to be popular barely moved. A few items didn't sell at all, which is difficult when you know how much time and care went into making them. Other treats surprised us in the opposite direction.

Our Snowballs sold out.

Our Apple Caramel Oatmeal Creme Pies sold out.

Those little victories felt especially good because they weren't based on what we thought people might want. Customers told us with their purchases.

We also heard plenty of opinions! Apparently pumpkin is a very divisive subject. 😂 We had more people tell us they didn't like pumpkin than we ever expected at a fall event.

That's the funny thing about baking for other people. You can love a recipe, your family can love it, and everyone who tastes it can tell you it's delicious—but ultimately, customers decide what earns a permanent place on the menu.

More Than the Final Sales Number

Of course, every small business hopes for a fantastic sales day. We had a number in mind, and we didn't quite reach it.

At first, it was hard not to focus on that.

Then we started thinking about everything else that happened.

People stopped to talk with us. Business cards went home with new customers. Someone took our information for possible future events. Several people told us they would look for us at the upcoming Fall Market. Someone found our little bakery at Depot Days, went home, remembered us, went online and came back for more.

That's exactly what we're trying to build.

Small Business Is a Lot of Learning

Saturday wasn't perfect.

We came home exhausted, with very sore feet and considerably more inventory than we'd hoped to bring home. There were products we were convinced people would love that barely received a second glance.

That's disappointing. We're not going to pretend otherwise.

But there were also sellouts, new customers, new contacts, requests for future products and conversations with people who shared our love of traditional Italian treats. A few customers from New York and New Jersey even asked where our zeppole were—which certainly got us thinking. 🇮🇹

Most importantly, we learned.

We're learning what our customers reach for first. We're learning which flavors deserve another chance and which ones may need to retire. We're learning how much to prepare, how different events attract different shoppers, and how important it is to listen when customers tell us what they'd love to see next.

Every market gives us another piece of the puzzle.

Next Stop: Fall Market 🍂

We're already preparing for our next adventure at the Fall Market.

You'll see some familiar Faragalli favorites, especially after you made it very clear that Snowballs and Apple Oatmeal Creme Pies aren't going anywhere. 😂

You'll also see seasonal flavors, a few new ideas we're testing, and perhaps some more of our Italian roots finding their way onto the table.

But we're taking one particularly important lesson with us:

We don't have to make everything.

We just want to make the things that make you want to come back.

To everyone who stopped at our booth, purchased something, tried something new, took a business card, offered encouragement or told us you'd see us again—thank you.

You made our first Depot Days an experience we'll remember.

And to the customer who found us there and already placed an order Thank you so much!!!

You made our weekend. ❤️

We'll see you at the Fall Market!

Faragalli Pastries

Traditional • Homemade • Passionate 🍋🇮🇹