These fun, light pancakes became an internet sensation a few years ago thanks to having just the right amount of jiggle. But for most customers, giggling at videos of the pancakes is where their experience ended.
Thanks to Jones, who started her business in October 2022, customers in Phoenix can taste the little fluffy treats. And since the beginning, Jones has steadily grown a fanbase at Valley farmers' markets.
"When people are standing waiting for their order and I lift the lid off the griddle, a huge aroma comes across the crowd and people get really excited about them," Jones says.
And this is just the beginning for Fluffy Cakes. Jones is working toward opening her brick-and-mortar storefront in Chandler this spring.
The perfect pancake
The idea of Fluffy Cakes emerged from Jones's time working at Toyo Tires."It was one of the happiest places to work. And because 90 percent of the employees were Japanese, there was [the] opportunity to experience a different food culture. Everyone talked about Japanese pancakes and how great they tasted," Jones says.
"They melt in your mouth," Jones adds, describing the texture as light and airy, similar to angel cake. "Because the pancakes are smaller than traditional American pancakes, people always want seconds."
But getting the pancakes just right involved patience and persistence, she says.
"Initially the pancakes came out horrible. I burnt them. And I was so irritated because I watched YouTube videos and it always looked so simple and the step-by-step instructions seemed easy to follow," Jones says. She committed to the process, and after three months, perfected her version of the Japanese pancake.
Japanese Pancakes will be sold with condiments like strawberries, boba, creme brûlée, and bananas.
Rudri Bhatt Patel
"The whole fluffy part of the pancake is difficult to master. There is a lot of science behind it that I needed to understand," Jones says, explaining that the key to the process is how the meringue is made. "It's actually better and preferred to beat the egg whites while they are cold."
To stabilize the egg white, Jones started adding cream of tartar. She also learned how to use ring molds to model the same look as the pancakes found in Japan.
Once she perfected her pancakes, Jones hunted for a business space. This process, however, was going to take some time.
"I started looking into having a food truck and that led me to the farmers' market and I instantly fell in love with the Uptown Market," Jones says.
Setting up shop
As of late April, in line with planning her brick-and-mortar store in Chandler, she shifted Fluffy Cakes to the Chandler Farmers Market. She enjoyed the ambiance of the markets, but says she's always wanted a storefront."From the beginning, my number one focus was to have a brick-and-mortar restaurant," Jones says.
She found a space at Chandler Fashion Center and plans to open in late May. There, she'll sell her Japanese pancakes along with cheesecakes. There will be four different flavors of cheesecakes — vanilla, Oreo, taro, and chocolate — and they will be priced between $10 and $15.
For the Japanese pancakes, there will be various toppings, like strawberries, bananas, cream brûlée, and brown sugar boba. The price point is between $8 and $10.
After struggling to find a career she loved, Jones dove head first into becoming an entrepreneur and professional pancake maker. She credits her tenacity and business drive to her mom.
"I came from a single mom low-income household with four kids and I never let it define me," Jones says. And Jones applies that attitude when it comes to Fluffy Cakes.
"There's no option of turning back," Jones says. "There's no option of failing."
"I came from a single mom low-income household with four kids and I never let it define me," Jones says. And Jones applies that attitude when it comes to Fluffy Cakes.
"There's no option of turning back," Jones says. "There's no option of failing."
Fluffy Cakes
Opening soon at Chandler Fashion Center
3111 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler
