Meet our Empresarios: Nana's Exquisite Confections
Hacienda CDC’s Empresarios programming supports entrepreneurs to start, grow, and scale their businesses. Read more about our featured Empresario and learn about our amazing community of small business owners.
Business Name:
area of Origin:
Gresham, Oregon
Significance of Name:
The name was selected because Florence wanted a name that was classy and celebrates yesterdays. She included “Nana’s” later on when she became a nanny and also to celebrate the other women in her life who taught her what she knows: Her mother and grandmother.
Goals for Business:
When COVID-19 hit, Nana’s Exquisite Confections shut down completely due to the fact that she did not want to be liable for anything and she was not too sure what the county would mandate. As she learned more about the precautions needed to fulfill orders in a sanitary way, she opened back up and has since followed all the safety protocols to provide the highest quality and service possible. Her goal to grow her digital presence to connect with more individuals and customers who love and appreciate the fine work of yesterday deserts.
Florence’s Story
Meet Florence Jenkins, owner, and founder of Nana’s Exquisite Confections. She was born and raised in Portland, OR, and was blessed to have parents and grandparents that advocated and role-modeled the importance of working hard. They intentionally instilled entrepreneurial characteristics in their children hoping that one day they would go on to be their own boss. In 2008, Florence brought that investment from her parents into fruition by starting an In-Home Baker business that focuses on providing high-quality, up-scale “Yester Year” style desserts to a varied audience.
Florence has a love for children and especially the youth. A few years ago she began facilitating Cooking Classes for youth (Teen Cuisine) where she’s not only able to teach the youth basic cooking skills within their own homes, but she’s also able to speak words of affirmation through the process and see on-site transformations in the kids she teaches. Florence has had the opportunity to provide cooking session services for, Kitchen Commons, HomeForward, New Avenues for Youth, The Oregon Youth Authority’s MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, and for a host of private participants. Florence declares that our youth shall live and not be destroyed from having a defeatist mentality. Although Florence’s vision hasn’t come to full fruition, she firmly believes that even baby steps are deemed as a forwarding movement.
Florence is a kind lady who is ready to put a smile on your face and full belly with a clean plate. Her recipes are traditional and made with high-quality ingredients.
About Nana’s Exquisite Confections
Nana’s Exquisite Confections is proud to be a women-owned bakery that passionately produces up-scale versions of “Yester-Year” desserts. They believe that there is an untapped, limited market for home-style desserts made of premium ingredients, traditional recipes, and a lot of love. If you’re an individual that appreciates the time and preparation that goes into making high-quality desserts from scratch, then Nana’s is the bakery for you!
The fruition of Exquisite Indulgence Desserts, now called Nana’s Exquisite Confections, was not something that happened by chance. In 2006, through the tugging of her heart and soul, Florence Jenkins felt the need to begin using her gifts, talents, and abilities to make a difference for others. As a middle child, she has always been a peacekeeper and always loved sharing and showing love to others. She decided to start a bakery because of her love for cooking which came from growing up baking with her mother and grandmother. She loves to see the warmth and happiness in people’s faces as she presents them with a cake or dessert. What she loves the most, however, is spending time teaching the youth about basic home cooking while talking and coaching them in life to become better people and making sure they know they are loved. Love is a key ingredient in all of her confections.
Learn more about our Empresarios program and other businesses at the Portland Mercado.