An Interview with Brian Murphy, the Founder and President of Smith Island Baking Company
Today, I’m thrilled to introduce you to one of my favorite cakes in the world: the Smith Island Cake.
While a (red velvet!) Smith Island Cake plays a role in uniting characters in Summer Triangle’s epilogue, this special dessert warrants more than a literary mention. Brian Murphy, the Founder and President of Smith Island Baking Company, took the time to answer some questions about his company’s journey, entrepreneurship, and (of course) cake!
Smith Island Cake has a rich history. Smith Island is actually an archipelago which comprises three island communities, Tylerton, Rhodes Point, and Elwell, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay. In the 1800s, women began baking Smith Island Cakes to celebrate special occasions, particularly to support their husbands during the autumn oyster harvest.
Today, Smith Island is the last uninhabited island in Maryland. Ferries arrive once a day, while groceries are shipped by boat. Yet many people know Smith Island best for its famous, eponymous treat. Smith Island Cakes are immediately recognizable for their thin, stacked layers, traditionally interlaced and coated with a classic fudge frosting.
Though the Smith Island Cake is now the state dessert of Maryland, demand for this special dessert extends far beyond its roots. That’s where Smith Island Baking Company comes into play. Brian Murphy, Founder and President of Smith Island Baking Company, not only makes these cakes accessible across the nation but is also a modern-day caretaker of this regional tradition.
Please note that the following interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Elizabeth Webster: Thank you so much for speaking with me today. When were you first introduced to a Smith Island Cake?
Brian Murphy: That’s a great story. I graduated from business school in 2008, and I was a commodity trader for ten years …. After business school, I … wanted to start a business. I ate my first cake I believe on February 8, 2009 - I remember because it was my mom’s birthday. I stopped at a place at the outlets on Kent Island and bought a chocolate peanut butter cake. It was amazing. From there, I did some research.
EW: Why did you decide to start the Smith Island Baking Company?
BM: I don’t do things half-measure. I don’t shop; I buy. I don’t like poverty, and Somerset County doesn’t have a lot of opportunities. I thought: wouldn’t it be great to build the best bakery in the world and do it right here?
EW: I know your company was originally based on Smith Island. Do you still feel a strong connection with the island and its people?
BM: Of course. In 2016, we had to leave the island [due to logistical issues. It’s a privilege to represent Smith Island Cakes. They’re a piece of history. We are a custodian of a treasure … obviously, history changes, but we want to respect the process and serve as a steward of this tradition.
EW: What aspect of your company makes you most proud?
BM: I love connecting people. We have seven kids and a great team. We’ll have to automate at some point. These cakes are hundreds of thousands of layers, and we can’t do it all by hand. Customers think they want it all by hand, but what they really want is to feel good about it. Technology improves the human experience. Within a moral framework, I love how we make these cakes. We have amazing people and ingredients, and we still stack them all by hand. We ship all over the country, to all fifty states.
We partnered with Goldbelly last year - an amazing platform … but we still put our cakes in the same box. That was a good decision for us, and it frees me up to think about what we want to do: bake, store, and ship cakes to celebrations of all shapes and sizes!
I really think it’s the most significant cake in the country. When people get together for celebrations, we love that they’re looking at these cakes, and - because they’re [circular] - we love that people are gathered around them.
EW: As an aside, because I know some of my readers are small business owners, what advice do you have for someone starting their first business?
BM: To boil it down, every company is leadership then culture then sales. Sales is the holy grail. Convincing someone to send their money from outside the building to inside the building is a small miracle. Surround yourself with great people. Do something your proud of. You’ll get punched in the nose more times than you can count.
A business is a stream of cash flows, and … when you break it down, you need to make sure you understand the big three reports for any business owner: income statements, statements of cash flow, balance sheet. If you don’t understand these reports, you don’t have a business.
EW: When did you feel like the business had clicked into place?
BM: (laughter) I started the business in 2009, and I’m hoping in the next few months.
EW: Is there anything you’d like to add?
BM: People ask about Smith Island, and I’ll say … the ferry leaves every day at 12:30. It may not come back. Sometimes, it spends the night. There are no hotels. It’s a place that does not go out of its way to be a tourist place. It’s a beautiful island with beautiful people. I hope people will want to cross it off their bucket list. But if they can’t make the trip, they can buy a cake - and our cakes are the best, based in the original bakery in Smith Island.
Many thanks to Brian Murphy for giving us insight into his company’s story!
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