Cascade Bank and Parisian Star Desserts Make for a Sweet Combination

The Chocolate
Truffle Ganache Cake from Parisian Star Desserts is a feast for the eyes as well
as the palate. Proprietor Pierre Fauvet insists upon tasteful perfection in all that his kitchen produces.

This is just part of the recipe for success that has served him well.

A native of France, Pierre spent his early career days in Paris learning from pastry chefs at the renowned Fauchon, a gourmet and specialty food maker. Today, he is the owner of a growing wholesale business bringing fine quality desserts to the Seattle area. Pierre has never wavered from his mission to provide the highest quality products to his customers.

His artisanal approach includes using only the finest ingredients, even when purchasing up to 200 pounds of imported French and Belgian chocolate on average each day. Butter and cream, for example, are delivered every other day from a select group of local suppliers who meet Pierre's stringent quality requirements.

Aside from the ability to create sublime confections, Pierre learned much about managing a kitchen, refining baking techniques and managing staff during his 15 years in the U.S. heading pastry teams for hotels and restaurants.

What he hadn't yet proved was that he could successfully run his own business. Pierre’s long-term goal was to build an environment where he and a team could create a dessert line of exceptional quality and distribute it to discerning customers. He found that Seattle was a good market for this niche.

Pierre knew what equipment he needed, where to get it, who to sell to, who to hire and how to blend that together into a business. Missing from his recipe box, however, was a banker who could provide the start-up financial support he needed with just the right-sized dash of open-minded vision.

In 1998, he approached Issaquah Bank, which became part of the Cascade Bank family in 2004. With this local bank, he developed a relationship with the team of business bankers that flourishes today.

“We wanted a small bank that would trust in us and our ability to succeed,” explained Pierre. “We like the idea of working with a community bank that is growing and investing in the community, just as our company does.”

“I am very happy with my banking relationship with Cascade Bank,” he elaborated. “It is a very one-on-one experience, and every time I call they know who I am. I suppose the accent helps,” he joked.

Four times he expanded his business, Pierre stated proudly, and four times his bank made that possible through loans or Lines of Credit. Today, he has 18 employees, approximately 75 retail and wholesale customers, produces 3,000 to 4,000 pieces of pastry per day, and still works 16-hour days during peak seasons.

“Cascade Bank pays attention to me as if I am their only customer,” said Pierre. “That is just what we do here at Parisian Star Desserts. We look at every cake — no matter how many we produce — as if it is the only cake we produce that day. We manage all of the details needed to be very proud of that cake. We imagine our customer seeing every cake we produce and that they are all the same, all perfect. This is also how Cascade Bank treats its customers. We both run our companies as if we had just one customer, and we pay attention to the details in quality and customer service. That is the best recipe for sweet success,” concluded Pierre.

If you need a business banker who understands the importance of paying attention, contact Cascade Bank at 800-326-8787.

Visit Parisian Star Desserts at http://www.parisianstardesserts.com