According to Jean Buckley, running a business comes down to two things: dedication and the ability to adapt. Twenty years ago, when she took over a Mississauga grocer and bakery that specializes in Jamaican food, she and her husband didn’t know the first thing about baking. But it was something they would dedicate themselves to learning.
“We inherited the recipes and some of the employees,” she says, “so we had everything we needed to learn about baking. We could watch the physical making and understand the process. At first it was simply following the recipes, then over time improving on them. It was very challenging, but we were determined to get it done.”
“Most people seek out what they know we have. We have a mix of customers because the world is opening up so much. There are more people travelling to Jamaica, so they come in looking for what they need to recreate the food they experienced there. They can also experience that same food right here, from our takeout counter.”
Today, Jeannie’s Market and Bakery is a fixture among people shopping for hard-to-find Jamaican food staples and specialties from across the greater Toronto area, with Jean still very much the hands-on small business owner when it comes to everything from accounting and answering emails to bakery logistics and every day troubleshooting.
“Some days it's nice and calm and I get a lot done. Some days, I get nothing done, because there are hiccups. This piece of equipment is broken and you need someone to repair it, or the delivery van is broken down. Now, added to that, is the fact that some supplies are not readily available. So you have to go sourcing these things.”
The recent supply chain issues have impacted Jeanie’s Market and Bakery in multiple ways: delays in shipping of specialized mechanical parts for the bakery, scarce supplies of the foreign-sourced food products her customers expect, and prices overall are only rising. The ability to adapt that was instilled by having to learn baking is now coming in handy as Jean adapts to sourcing alternative products and dealing with unpredictable or slow delivery schedules. Despite these challenges, the business has continued to thrive, with a constant growth in sales since 2020.
One of the strengths of Jeanie’s Market and Bakery is not only its niche focus on Jamaican and Caribbean fares, but recognizing the opportunity to pursue multiple possible income streams. There is the retail store stocked with the spices, fruit, vegetables, and meats particular to Caribbean cooking; a bakery with fresh baked goods and bread; plus a take-out window with Jamaican patties and various hot meals. As Jeannie’s Market and Bakery gets no real walk-in traffic in its mostly industrial neighbourhood, business is entirely dependent on repeat customers and word-of-mouth. Jean trusts that customers will find them.
“What surprises me is the difficulty of getting financing from a regular bank. That's something that has really eluded us over the years. It's why we rely mostly on partners like Driven. They're the ones that really have helped our business push forward. I think it's mostly because of the type of business that we have. People who don't understand our business, they tend to shy away from it.”
“Most people seek out what they know we have. We have a mix of customers because the world is opening up so much. There are more people travelling to Jamaica, so they come in looking for what they need to recreate the food they experienced there. They can also experience that same food right here, from our takeout counter.”
The strength of Jean’s business model — creating varied income streams as a means of constantly adapting to the demands of the business — is also, at times, a weakness. It’s a model, Jean says, that seems unfamiliar to many banks, presenting barriers to getting a loan. Despite running a successful business for 20 years, banks don’t see much opportunity in Jeannie’s Market and Bakery. But for a business like hers to constantly evolve and expand, outside funding can be a necessity.
“What surprises me is the difficulty of getting financing from a regular bank. That's something that has really eluded us over the years. It's why we rely mostly on partners like Driven. They're the ones that really have helped our business push forward. I think it's mostly because of the type of business that we have. People who don't understand our business, they tend to shy away from it.”
“In the last five years, we knew we had to keep expanding because the demand was there. Fortunately, we were successful with lenders like Driven, and we’ve maintained those relationships. They're the ones who really have kept us going and made it possible for us to grow.”
When, five years ago, Jeannie’s previous location was slated to be converted into townhouses, Jean took it not as a setback but an opportunity to find a new space where the business could expand.
“In the last five years, we knew we had to keep expanding because the demand was there. Fortunately, we were successful with lenders like Driven, and we’ve maintained those relationships. They're the ones who really have kept us going and made it possible for us to grow.”
As a token of Driven’s thanks for agreeing to tell her story, we asked Jean to name a fellow local business she would like to support — she chose the restaurant Saucy in Streetsville, ON, where Jean will enjoy a meal compliments of Driven. Like many entrepreneurs, we see the value in paying forward success, and bringing the hustle back to the communities one small business at a time.
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