Edeske Patisserie SBA Nano Business of the Year
PORTLAND DISTRICT
Date: April 24, 2024 Contact: sean.wilson@sba.gov | 503-326-7251
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Hood River Patisserie Named 2024 SBA Oregon Nano Business of the Year
Owners Tamara and James Biscardi of Édeske Patisserie Takes Top Honors
PORTLAND, Ore. – The winner of the 2024 U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Nano Business of the Year is Édeske Patisserie owned by Tamara and James Biscardi.
In April, 2023, the husband and wife team opened the doors to their 900 square foot kitchen and retail space offering bon bons / chocolates, desserts, tea treats, and high-end pastries. Édeske is Hungarian for “sweet little thing” and pays tribute to Tamara’s native Hungary. Located in Hood River, Oregon, Édeske Patisserie also offers a revolving dessert menu not found in the Columbia River Gorge and sources about 90 percent of its fresh ingredients from the Hood River Valley.Since opening, the patisserie has also expanded its wholesale customer base supplying local coffee shops, hotels and other storefronts with its sweet treats.
The SBA Portland District Nano Business of the Year honors a business with five or less employees operating for at least one year that is growing rapidly and poised for even more significant growth in the future.
During this year’s National Small Business Week (NSBW), April 28 to May 4, 2024, the U.S. Small Business Administration will honor the nation’s 33 million small businesses for their perseverance, ingenuity, triumphs and creativity as well as spotlight the resilience of America’s entrepreneurs, who are doing their part to power our nation’s historic economic comeback. And the SBA, along with valued small business partners, will share important information about the many programs and services available to help businesses start and grow, continue to power our economic growth, strengthen our supply chains and deliver the products and services Americans depend on every day.
The NSBW events will also include access to critical federal resources, opportunities for new business strategies, opportunities to meet other business owners and chat with industry experts. NSBW will include honoring small businesses around the country, educational sessions, online business resources and exciting speakers. Highlights of the week will include an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., a four-city roadshow tour, and a virtual summit where small business owners can visit virtual booths to develop one-on-one connections with public and private sector partners to create opportunities for collaboration and information-sharing in real-time.
“Our 2024 National Small Business Week award winners exemplify excellence, innovation, and commitment, and the SBA is proud to showcase their incredible achievements and impact on their communities and our economy,” said Administrator Guzman. “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, more Americans than ever before are pursuing the American dream of business ownership and able to access more opportunities, with historic investments in communities across America in local infrastructure, broadband, manufacturing, innovation, and clean energy. National Small Business Week is the nation’s opportunity to lift up the amazing entrepreneurs, small business advocates, local partners, advisors, lenders, and investors who support America’s entrepreneurial spirit and the historic Biden-Harris Small Business Boom.”
“The spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship in our small business community is part of what makes life in the Pacific Northwest so special,” said SBA Portland District Director Martin Golden. “Entrepreneurs like Tamara and James represent the thousands of small business owners who dedicate themselves every day to building a better life for their families, employees and are a source of strength for their communities.”
It all started when Head Pastry Chef Tamara Bartucz Biscardi, at the age of twenty, moved to The Netherlands to begin her pâtissier career. She attended the best baker’s school The Netherlands had to offer and followed that with working at some of the top patisseries in the region. While working for an expedition cruise company, she met her husband, James, and started their lives together. Settling down in the Pacific Northwest, they saw the opportunity to create a business that many dream of from vacations gone by of fine European patisseries and wanted to offer that same experience in Hood River, Oregon. They hired and trained their first employee Amanda Dunbar, who is now running their pastry department and hope to hire more in the future. They are working with a chocolate producer to create bon bons to sell to their current customers as a special holiday offer and hope to soon ship their chocolates nationwide.
As the couple was starting the business, they turned to the Columbia Gorge Community College Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for assistance in strategic business planning as well connecting to other local and financial resources. They got their start with the SBDC’s supported Columbia Gorge Community College’s Incubator Kitchen at The Dalles, OR campus which allowed them to test their business concept and develop recipes and products without the overheard of purchasing expensive equipment and signing into a full term lease. Once theydeveloped their recipe’s they went to the Hood River farmer’s market to find their audience and were deeply encouraged by the local community’s support. Hood River SBDC Director Gregory Price helped them connect with Mid-Columbia Economic Development District’s (MCEDD) gap lending microloan program which when combined with their farmer’s market revenue, allowed them to acquire their business space, make renovations, and purchase equipment. James is currently enrolled in the SBDC Small Business Management course.
“We are deeply grateful for this award! While creating this small business we never expected for it to be where it is at in such a short period of time!” said James Biscardi. “This would not have been possible without the grassroots support of our local community as well as the support of the SBA and the guidance of our advisor, Gregory Price. With his help, we were able to build a solid foundation to grow on while at the same time being shown all the different avenues of support as we navigated establishing our small business.”
“It really does mean a lot to receive this award, as it is a testament to our commitment to our hard work. Our patisserie isn’t just about creating top quality treats, but more importantly, it is created on a backbone to create sustainability in creating a long term business that provides for our small team. So, with that, we want to thank the SBA and all it does to support businesses like ours to continue to do what we love!”
Award winners from the SBA Portland District will be individually recognized throughout National Small Business Week to include the Oregon Small Business Person of the Year, Family-Owned Small Business of the Year, and the Portland District Award for Excellence.
About National Small Business Week
For more than 60 years, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Every day, they’re working to grow small businesses, create 21st century jobs, drive innovation, and increase America’s global competitiveness.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. The Portland District serves Oregon and southwest Washington with its office location in Portland.