In an engaging conversation with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, Timothy Cho, the creative force behind Oven Theory, shares the story of his journey to revolutionize the cupcake experience. Based in Mississauga, Oven Theory specializes in light, fluffy, and Asian-inspired cupcakes that celebrate subtle sweetness and premium quality. Inspired by his Korean heritage and a passion for nostalgic desserts, Timothy’s mission is to create cupcakes that bring people together to celebrate life’s moments.
Timothy dives into his entrepreneurial journey, from starting Oven Theory as a hobby to navigating the challenges of running a small bakery at 26. He also discusses how TikTok has become a game-changer for his brand, helping to grow a supportive community and drive sales at pop-up events. With aspirations for greater visibility and a focus on creating connections through food, Timothy shares valuable insights and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs aiming to turn their passion into a successful business.
Timothy Cho is the owner of Oven Theory, a Mississauga commissary kitchen bakery that specializes in Asian-inspired cupcakes that are light, fluffy and not too sweet. Apart from the traditional overly-rich counterparts, there is a delicate focus to uphold the subtle sweetness often inherited in Asian baking. His mission is to create premium cupcakes that are perfect for sharing, allowing opportunities for people to come together and celebrate many of life’s achievements and celebrations.
What inspired you to create Oven Theory and focus on Asian-inspired cupcakes?
Growing up I loved to cook and bake with my mom. I was very fortunate to grow up in an immigrant household where I experienced both Korean and Canadian culture and food. Throughout my childhood cupcakes were a very nostalgic dessert I’d enjoy but realized that whenever we ate it outside it was too sweet. As I grew older, I appreciated Asian baking more as it was more subtle in its sweetness. Unfortunately, in my area there weren’t a lot of places that offered cupcakes that were more than just your basic chocolate or vanilla cupcake. I found a small niche that wasn’t available by providing representation on flavours I grew up with and to showcase that a nostalgic dessert like a cupcake can be premium in quality and its taste.
Oven Theory initially started as a hobby in middle school. After baking for more than 10+ years and working for many local bakeries, what started off as a small burnout in the industry during the pandemic, then working corporate, made me realize that starting a bakery was my calling. What I love is that we connect people together through great food that allows people to also celebrate with each other. In February 2024, I quit my full-time job to pursue Oven Theory, and the rest, I enjoy documenting our wins and losses to our community.
Can you tell us about your journey documenting Oven Theory’s growth on TikTok and how the platform has impacted your business?”
It’s so interesting to now look back on where we are vs. when we first started. TikTok has been an amazing tool in helping me document my business journey as I shared a lot of highlights and lowlights of what it’s like to run a small bakery at 26-years old. As I continued to post, there were many people who started to visit us during our pop-ups because they saw us on TikTok and wanted to come support us. It’s crazy because we’re selling out at most of our pop-ups because of our TikTok followers.
Initially when I first started on TikTok, I was super camera shy as I didn’t want to show my face. My brother, who has been my mentor from the start, helped me realize that traditional marketing is fading away and that in order to build a community I had to share my face and my story. After mustering up some courage I decided to be on camera more and became vulnerable with those watching. Through this we’re growing our community little by little and as I converse with our supporters, I’m learning that my posting shows others it’s possible to chase your dreams.
What are some memorable milestones or customer experiences that have stood out since starting Oven Theory?
Throughout the year we do a lot of pop-up markets as it gives us an opportunity to meet our community and engage with them. It also gives us a chance for our community, who live close to certain markets, to get a chance to try our cupcakes. One memorable customer experience was when we had two sisters visit our pop-up market in North York during the holiday season in 2023 and they drove all the way from Hamilton. All in all, it took them 1.5 hours to get to our market and ended up buying one of each cupcake. It was such an amazing experience after that day and gave us more confidence in our product.
How has participating in the TikTok SmallBiz Pop-Up at Union Station shaped your business and its visibility?
Prior to the TikTok #SmallBiz Pop-Up Presented by TD we were struggling quite a bit to get visibility. The reason being is that because we didn’t have a storefront and only had a rental kitchen, it was quite difficult to obtain our products. We partnered with local cafes and restaurants to host our products where we set them up as a pick-up location but even then, we found it hard to retain customers. One thing I realized was that during our pop-ups we did very well. So, I realized fast that people wanted to buy maybe only 1-4 cupcakes at a time and wanted a designated space to find us. Now, being almost 1 month into this pop-up, these discoveries are backed up as people now know where to find us and have freedom to pick as many as they’d like. Being at Union has also helped us as it’s in such close proximity to so many things, the pop-up is helping us with more brand visibility.
What advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs looking to turn their passion into a thriving business?
For aspiring entrepreneurs, I would say the best actionable thing you can do today is starting your business now. Before I started my business, I was always fixated on the idea of starting a business instead of doing actionable things to make it a reality. Those who start now are far more ahead than dreamers. When you start your business, start small. Document your journey through social media and as you grow, your community will grow even bigger and support you in the things you do.
