For Justin Yuen ’27, the dream of running his own bakery and cafe is more than half-baked.
What started years ago as a friendly challenge with friends has grown into a thriving cookie and tea business called J Bakes. Now, Yuen is preparing for his next steps, earning a real estate license to help raise capital so he can one day open a brick-and-mortar shop.
“This journey began in middle school when I was talking with friends about cooking and baking,” Yuen said. “It turned into a mini bake-off, and we each brought in samples for the whole class. The next week, people were asking for more cookies.”
Classmates were so eager that they began chipping in for ingredients so Yuen could keep baking. He spent countless hours poring over cookbooks and experimenting with ingredient ratios in pursuit of the perfect chocolate chip cookie.
“It really ignited a passion,” he said.
Today, J Bakes offers more than 10 flavors of cookies, mochi cakes, and matcha teas, which Yuen sells throughout New Jersey at farmers markets, craft fairs, and campus fundraisers. What sets J Bakes apart, he said, is the quality of its ingredients.
“I just kind of keep the cookie down to its roots,” Yuen said. He is committed to baking from scratch using non-GMO products and no artificial flavors, colorings, or preservatives. “There’s a definite market for that,” he said.
His bestsellers are the raspberry lemon and banana chocolate chip cookies, though his personal favorite is the chewy hot cocoa cookie.
Yuen, a finance major at The College of New Jersey, has become more immersed in the business side of running a small bake shop since arriving on campus. He partners with a commercial kitchen where he produces his baked goods, typically baking midweek, selling wholesale online, and running pop-up shops on weekends at various events.
For his matcha, which he uses in both cookies and tea, Yuen sources from Ooika, a New Jersey-based store and cafe that mills fresh powder.
Yuen has also earned his real estate license. He recently sold a home in Middletown, New Jersey, the first in what he hopes will be a series of sales to help fund his cookie venture. With his background in real estate, he said he feels well positioned to find a property to lease and open his own storefront after graduation.
“I’ve been able to connect with different communities and people,” Yuen said. “I’ve always educated people about my product, and I feel like I’ve developed that skill and am now implementing it in my real estate business. It’s fun to build those connections.”
— Kara Pothier, MAT ’08