Owner Tierre Benton shares that part of her business success lies in a commitment to quality
Brooke Strickland
For ClarkCountyToday.com
VANCOUVER — For Tierre Benton, Sugar and Salt Bakery & Café is a dream come true – literally.
One night, Benton was asleep and had a dream of going to culinary school and opening a restaurant. Shortly after that, she enrolled in the Clark College Culinary Management program and graduated in 2010. After that, she and her daughter rented a space in a commercial kitchen where they created and started selling baked goods at local farmers markets in the summer. They did that for two years with great success, so they decided it was time to open a brick-and-mortar location.
Benton, now the owner and operator of Sugar and Salt Bakery & Café, has had her uptown Vancouver storefront at 207 E. Mcloughlin Blvd. for almost five years and she employs eight people, including herself.
Benton shares that part of her business success in the ever-changing Vancouver restaurant scene lies in their commitment to quality.
“I believe that we are successful because we care about providing great quality food to our customers in a very friendly, relaxed atmosphere,’’ Benton said. “It is important to me that everything tastes and looks good. Customers are our business. If we can’t please them we don’t have a successful business.”
Benton goes on to share that it’s been exciting to be included in the changes and development that is happening in Vancouver.
“The food scene in Vancouver is changing and growing rapidly and I am so excited to be a part of it,’’ she said. “In today’s environment, people love to go out and eat. I believe we play into that because we are passionate about the quality of food and what people are looking for to fill their bellies.”
Benton shares that being able to accommodate different dietary lifestyles means they can ultimately reach more people in the community that are struggling to find dining out options that cater to their specific dietary restrictions.
“One thing that makes Sugar and Salt stand out from the crowd is that we offer a growing number of really good wheat-free options for those who are gluten intolerant, including but not limited to gluten-free bread for sandwiches, house-made wheat-free waffles, and a number of assorted pastries and baked goods, as well as simple custom cakes,’’ she said. “We also have a few vegan options that are delicious.”
Benton is proud of the diverse menu at Sugar and Salt Bakery & Café, which she believes has the perfect mix of sweet and savory items. Benton explains that their signature items include biscuits and gravy, chili and cornbread, their house ciabatta bread and house waffles, as well as their caramel apple pies. All the ciabatta bread is made in-house and is completely vegan.
There are also many breakfast and lunch choices that include breakfast sandwiches and quiches, baked French toast, homemade sandwiches, and soups. Soups are gluten-free, and there are also gluten-free bread options available for sandwiches and waffles.
The future for Sugar and Salt Bakery & Café looks bright and promising, Benton says.
“Our plan is to grow in our offerings to accommodate the needs of the people,’’ Benton said. “We enjoy our community and look forward to many more years of ‘Good Food, Good Friends, Good Times.’”
For more information, go to sugarandsaltbakery.com.
