If you’ve always wanted to run a bakery, all you’ll need is a few key ingredients: $150, some very convincing prose, and a dash of good luck.
The owners of Sweets Coffee, Cakes, & Treats in Kingston plan to give away their shop on the South Shore to an aspiring cook who has yearned for the opportunity to serve up cookies and other baked goods at their very own pâtisserie.
“I’m going to retire because I have too much on my plate,” said Maria Enemark, who has run the shop just minutes from downtown Plymouth for the last five years. “I’m going to be 60 years old and I work 18 hours a day — I work a lot of hours.”
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She said it’s time to move forward to the next chapter of her life, and concentrate on being a grandmother.
Enemark’s daughter, Stephanie Enemark, said the family was inspired to host the giveaway after reading about a similar essay contest to take over an inn in Maine.
She said because her mother was familiar with the struggles that come with starting a business from the ground up, she wanted to give the bakery to someone without saddling them with startup setbacks. Stephanie said the business is viable, the shop is in pristine shape, and they have a loyal customer following.
“My mother wanted to give someone else the opportunity to start their own business without having to pay a mortgagee and pay a lease. That’s really sometimes what people have the hardest time with in the beginning,” Stephanie said. “Now someone with big dreams can have them fulfilled.”
Enemark said the newly renovated building space, which has been touched up by her husband, a carpenter, will be passed on to the person who writes the most compelling argument in 250 words or less about why they are worthy of assuming the responsibility of creating homemade cupcakes, brownies, and scones for customers.
“Whoever wins has to have great skills and great recipes,” she said.
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The essay contest will consist of three rounds. First, Enemark and her three daughters will collect the submissions from prospective owners. From there, they will whittle down the pool to just 100 finalists. In the last round, a panel of three judges will read the essays and select a winner.
The family expects to announce the winner in October.
Steve Annear can be reached at steve.annear@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @steveannear.