Business & Management Skills

• Management in a variety of kitchens and catering facilities allowing for the serving of up to 700 people - keeping people and products working together
• High attention to customers needs allowing for strong customer relations
• Promoted teamwork and dedication from kitchen staff
• Ability to cost products and sell within competitive and profitable guidelines
• Operated successful Jazzercise franchise since 1992 - provides additional income, networking and physical fitness

Education

Disney Culinary Academy - Lake Buena Vista, Florida 1994- 1997

Professional Experience

A Grande Finale Patisserie® - Louisville, Colorado July 1999 to Present
Pastry Chef and Owner

• Start-up of specialty gourmet specialty dessert company
• Day to Day operations of company

Jazzercise 1992 to Present
Franchise Owner and Operator

• Substitute for area fitness centers when needed

Cafe Allegre - Orlando, Florida July 1998 to March 1999
Executive Pastry Chef

Walt Disney World - Lake Buena Vista, Florida 1994 - 1998

• Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort - Prep Chef
• Catering Department of the Epcot Center - Advanced Culinary Chef
• Canadian Pavilion at the Epcot Center - Advanced Culinary Chef
• Coral Reef at Epcot Center - Apprentice

Shears Kitchen - Moorhead, Minnesota 1992 - 1994
Executive Baker

Leeby's Uptown Market - Fargo, North Dakota 1990 - 1992
Bakers Assistant

Dine-in Option

A Grande Finale Patisserie® offers daily specials and samples of our desserts in our Pastry Shoppe. Please join us for your daily coffee, tea and espresso drinks brought to you by Vail Mountain Coffee and Tea Company. We are also pleased to offer our very own A Grande Finale Hot Chocolate and Hot Chocolate on the Rocks, with variations on this including, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Caramel Delight, and Espresso Hot Chocolate. If you're thirsty for something cold, we offer Izze beverages, iced tea and bottled water, as well as any of our coffee drinks served over ice. Our newest creations, Dessert Drinks, are just that ~ Dessert in a glass! Seasonal flavors include: Raspberry Bliss, Orange Dream, Gingerbread, Cinnamon Orange, Black Forest, Peppermint, Crème Brulee and Mango Delight.

News

Taste of fame

Kelly Smith, The Forum
Published Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Cakes and cupcakes have changed Nicole Hedlund’s life forever – giving her a coveted career, her husband and now, a moment in the national spotlight.

“It’s very exciting,” the North Dakota native said. “You wait nine years and something exciting happens.”

During the nine years she’s operated her pastry store, Hedlund’s decadent desserts have tempted the taste buds of chocoholics across the nation – and now, the Food Network.

The cable station will feature her Colorado-based pastry store, A Grande Finale Patisserie, Aug. 5.

It’s not just bragging rights for the 38-year-old, but recognition that she’s achieved her highest dreams.

While growing up in Williston, N.D., she discovered a love for baking. It wasn’t until she moved to Fargo, though, to study at North Dakota State University that she realized she could turn her passion into a profession.

“I didn’t know people had jobs at pastry shops,” she said. “Growing up in North Dakota, you don’t see a lot of fancy cuisine.”

A couple of California chefs changed all that. When the college student took a summer job at a former downtown bakery, she was introduced to the world of high-end cuisine – and inspired by those chefs to take her talent further.

So, Hedlund traded books for baking utensils, saw an ad for a culinary school in Florida and enrolled. While working at Disney World, she met her husband, a Florida native and fellow chef. Inspired by their shared culinary passion, the couple moved in 1999 to the Boulder, Colo., area – a known hotspot for top-notch restaurants, she said.

When Hedlund wasn’t impressed with local restaurants, she decided to forge out on her own and open a retail high-end pastry store.

From walnut brownies to chocolate almonds, Hedlund’s shop is now filled with sweet delights – and lots of customers. But the dessert that has skyrocketed her to fame is her Raspberry Mousse Torte Cake – a layer cake topped with chocolate ganache, raspberry mousse cream and an edible chocolate gold logo. It’s what the Food Network chose to feature.

The total time to prepare the lavish luxury: two hours. And that slice of chocolate heaven will, of course, cost you a bit of green. A 6-inch cake costs $42 and a 10-inch cake is $58. But, Hedlund said, “It’s well worth the cost … There’s a huge difference from what you find at the grocery store.”

TV crews turned her pastry store into a scene akin to a movie studio in June. Likewise, the national spot may make her a local celebrity.

“Hopefully we’ll get to be on more shows,” she said. “That’s really how small businesses like mine get their start.”

Her parents, who live in Williston, and her sister, Christi Martel of Fargo, said they’re happy for Hedlund.

“She just came from the little town of Williston, N.D.,” Martel said with a laugh. “We’re very excited and proud of her.”

No matter where this next step takes her, Hedlund is just glad she’s living her dream.

“People are just fascinated by it,” she said of her occupation. “While it is glamorous, it’s still a lot of hard work.”

On TV

What: North Dakota native Nicole Hedlund will be featured on “Road Tasted with the Neelys”

When: 8:30 p.m. Aug. 5

Channel: Food Network (Ch. 42 in Fargo-Moorhead)

Readers can reach Forum reporter Kelly Smith at (701) 241-5515

A GRANDE FINALE PATISSERIE to be featured on Food Network’s

New Series ROAD TASTED WITH THE NEELYS.

Louisville, Colorado
Who isn’t happy when they’re eating a decadent dessert? A Grande Finale Patisserie has been pleasing their customers with indulgent and eye catching desserts since its inception in 1999. Pastry Chef Nicole Hedlund founded her business after extensive training and graduation from the Disney Culinary Academy in Orlando, Florida. While the business operates a retail Patisserie in Historic Downtown Louisville, a significant portion of the business comes from online orders that are shipped nationwide.

A Grande Finale Patisserie will be featured on an upcoming episode of Road Tasted with the Neelys, a new series featuring Food Network’s favorite husband and wife team-Pat and Gina Neely of the hit show Down Home with the Neelys-who take to the road on a cross-country search for the best local, hand-crafted foods. The next iteration of this popular show follows the fun-loving couple as they highlight specialty stores and family-run businesses that make one-of-a-kind edibles. With the knowledge of what it takes to launch a successful family business and a passion for all things food, they’ll also show viewers how to get these fabulous food finds delivered right to their doors. For more information about the Neelys and their new show, visit www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_rn/

Dancing in Denver: August 5th at 7:30pm MT

Explore the Mile High City with Pat and Gina starting at Just Sweet Enough for lip-smacking Sweet Potato Poundcake. With over 400 spices to choose from at Savory Spice Shop, the Neelys spotlight an exotic Jerk Burger and Lo-Do Adobo dip. Then it’s off to Louisville and A Grande Finale Patisserie for decadent Raspberry Mousse Torte Cake and lastly, Perri’s Gourmet for all-natural, one-of-a-kind Roasted Garlic Beef Jerky.
A Grande Finale Patisserie’s featured Raspberry Mousse Torte Cake can be found online at www.agrandefinale.com or by calling 303-926-4084.

Contact: Michelle Betrock (Food Network) mbetrock@foodnetwork.com for more information, images and footage.

THE DAILY CAMERA
September 13, 2004

CONTACT:
Karen Mitchell, www.dailycamera.com

"A GRAND BEGINNING" PASTRY SHOP FINDS NICHE IN LOUISVILLE

Little Red Riding Hood went into the forest with freshly baked bread and didn't come out at all. Nicole Hedlund went to Boulder's Whole Foods Market with her baked goods and emerged with a promising wholesale business connection.

Louisville, CO

Hedlund, 34, is chef/founder of A Grande Finale Patisserie®, on Main Street in downtown Louisville. The pastry shop is known for its treats including mousse tortes, elegant tarts and custom designed cakes. Hedlund recently marked her fifth anniversary as a Boulder County baker with a celebration at the shop which she opened more than three years ago.

Hedlund's entrepreneurial success has benefited from her conservative fiscal planning, an instinct for what customers crave and a desire to be her own boss.

A native of Williston, in northwestern North Dakota, Hedlund learned to cook at a young age, and had the advantage of two grandmothers who loved to bake. After a stint at a university in Fargo, Hedlund knew college wasn't for her. Instead, she landed a job at Leevy's, a specialty grocery with a popular bakery.

"A month after I started, two master chefs from San Francisco bought the store and I thought, 'Wow, growing up in North Dakota, we don't see that,' but it became an opportunity," Hedlund says. "They trained me and encouraged me to go to culinary school in California."

Unable to afford the West Coast school, Hedlund packed up and moved to Florida. "It was a big deal for me," she says. "I was accepted to the Disney Culinary Academy, where you get paid to work while you're in the all-around three-year cooking program."

Once again, Hedlund was drawn to baking, working in several Disney resorts and restaurants including the Grand Floridian Resort and the Epcot Catering center. She graduated with honors and worked at several non-Disney Orlando restaurants, including Cafe Allegre, where Steve Sommers, another Disney graduate and now her husband, was executive chef.

When she and Sommers opted for a change, they chose Boulder County after hearing about the local restaurant scene. Finding the perfect job fit proved difficult, Hedlund says, so she rented a commercial kitchen space in Boulder and set about baking her tantalizing desserts.

"I wanted to start small because I had never had my own business," she says. "I've been lucky enough to get recipes from the places where I've worked; I have a huge collection."

Hedlund's first marketing effort was to other transplants. "I made a threefold menu and joined the Boulder Newcomers Club," she says. "People started to call me to bake for parties. I knew I needed to add wholesale clients so I went to Whole Foods with a menu, price list, and a box of samples. They're my biggest account."

Teaching Jazzercise at the Lafayette YMCA and the Boulder Recreation Center has helped keep stress down and confidence up, Hedlund says.

A Grande Finale Patisserie® bakes several products for the Whole Foods Boulder bakery, including a raspberry chocolate mousse torte and individually sized treats such as German chocolate cake.

"Nicole is very sweet and always timely," says Kristina Lecours, associate team leader for Whole Foods bakery in Boulder. "Everything she bakes is hand-delivered - she takes the time to do that. We're very selective about what we bring in, and her desserts are always perfect and laid out nicely."

Working alone in her commercial kitchen space, Hedlund lacked a place to display her upscale edible wares. "I knew I couldn't really afford Boulder, and being in debt is stressful for me," she says. "I worked with a business coach, Cheri Ruskus at Business Victories (in Niwot). She helped me come up with our name and found this location."

The bakery, in a little house, had been empty for four months and needed some fixing up. It opened in March 2001 and has averaged about $100,000 in yearly sales. Hedlund, who also bakes wedding cakes for the Hotel Boulderado, is now offering some sugarless and lower carb desserts to her retail customers and hopes to add them to her Whole Foods order.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed last year, Hedlund thought about selling the business but couldn't come up with anything she preferred to do. Instead she closed the patisserie on Mondays, trimmed and tightened the menu and redid the website.

"We hired nIdea, in Broomfield, to do public relations and marketing," she says. "I'm trying to get more corporate business. I've been working with Sun (Microsystems) at holidays, and we are building a database of our customers to keep track of who they are. I want to develop more personal relationships with them."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2004

CONTACT:
Christopher Davies, Tel. 303 327-1530

"A Grande Finale Patisserie®" PASTRY SHOP CELEBRATES FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Woman/Chef owned business has evolved into one of Colorado's leading Patisseries

Louisville, CO

A grand finale to any gathering is the dessert. Whether it is a custom designed cake, elegant tart, mousse torte or wedding cake, A Grande Finale of Louisville creates award-winning delicious gourmet desserts. While the business operates a Pastry Shop and Café in Historic Downtown Louisville, most of the company's consumer and commercial clients are located in Boulder, Denver, and across the state of Colorado.

A Grande Finale Patisserie® will be celebrating its fifth year in business during the week of June 21, 2004. The public is welcomed to an open house from Tuesday June 22 to Friday June 25, 2004 from 10 AM to 5 PM and Saturday June 26, 2004 from 9AM to 4PM. Visitors will be treated to samplings of delicious desserts, free beverages, dessert specials and a chance to win valuable door prizes.

A Grande Finale was founded in 1999 by Chef Nicole Hedlund, a native of North Dakota. Ms. Hedlund is a graduate of the Disney Culinary Academy and has apprenticed at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Following her tenure at Walt Disney World, Nicole worked as the Executive Pastry Chef of several top restaurants in the Orlando area, and was voted "Best Desserts" by the Orlando Weekly newspaper in 1998.

After a move to Colorado in 1999 Nicole began her dream of developing her own desserts and honing her skills as an entrepreneur with the creation of A Grande Finale Patisserie®. Her business has quickly grown to become one of the leading Patisseries in Colorado. They have recently been voted "Best Desserts" and "Best Bakery" in East Boulder County and are proud to be a "preferred vendor" of the Hotel Boulderado and Whole Foods Markets.

The company has recently launched a new marketing program and website: www.agrandefinale.com and have added a line of lower carb/flourless and sugarless desserts to their new Dessert Menu.

Expansion plans include increasing commercial wholesale business as well as adding a corporate dessert menu.

Testimonials

Heartfelt thank you's from wonderful customers. Thank you!

Nicole,
just wanted to say thank you for doing such a wonderful job on our wedding reception cake last January. Your decorations with the roses I left were just beautiful. You have a wonderful business.

Thanks again,
Tara Pinge

Nicole and Staff -
Thank you so much for the gorgeous wedding cake. I really can't express my gratitude enough - we loved our wedding cake. It was so beautiful I didn't want to cut it! Thank goodness I did however, because our guests are still talking about how delicious it was. It was scrumptous! You were all so much help to us through the entire process - thank you! The Grande Finale is the best. I'll be sure to pass that on!

Thank you,
Denise and Shawn

Dear Nicole,
Thanks for doing such a BEAUTIFUL and DELICIOUS wedding cake. I got great feedback from everyone that had a piece. I'm so glad we found you! I'll keep you in mind in the future and definitely let other people know!

Sincerely,
Malisa and Brian Hlavacek

Nicole -
We just recieved your gift certificate in the mail and wanted to take the time to thank you for the beautiful job you did on our wedding cake! We appreciated all the time and care you took in making it and delivering it on time! We had no worries! Most importantly it was delicious! We sampled many cakes before finding yours and we couldn't have been more pleased! We're looking forward to our anniversary!

Thank you!
Ana and Jason

Dear Nicole -
Thank you for making the most beautiful and delicious wedding cake we've ever seen! Everything was perfect and we can't thank you enough for your patience with us! We will definitely pass the word on A Grande Finale Patisserie®!

Thanks!
Anonymous

Recommended Businesses

Hotel Boulderado
www.boulderado.com
A Grande Finale Patisserie is a preferred vendor of the Hotel Boulderado

Flowers with Flair
www.flowerswithflair.com

elc Photography
www.elcphoto.com

Culinary School of the Rockies
www.culinaryschoolrockies.com

Vail Mountain Coffee and Tea Company
www.vailcoffee.com

Shelter Insurance
www.shelterinsurance.com/johannpeters

Shop Louisville
www.shoplouisvilleCO.com

Concertos in Chocolate
www.concertosinchocolate.com

Cook Street School of Fine Cooking
www.CookStreet.com
Accelerated professional food and wine program, recreational cooking and wine classes for students of all skill and experience levels.

Whole Foods Market
www.wholefoodsmarket.com
A Grande Finale Patisserie is a preferred vendor of Whole Foods Market

Business Victories
www.businessvictories.com

Albert Uster Imports
www.auiswiss.com

Boulder Blooms
www.boulderblooms.com

Wendy Saunders Photojournalist
www.wendysaunders.com

11:11 Productions
www.11-11productions.com

Lions Gate Event Center
www.lionsgatecenter.com

DL Sommers Photography
www.dlsommersphotography.printroom.com

Garrett Popcorn
Gourmet Popcorn
Garrett Popcorn is known throughout the Chicago area as one of the tastiest snack foods & finest gourmet popcorn you can find on Michigan Avenue.

Scoping It Out
www.scopingitout.org/blog/
Scoping it out offers unique insights into people, place and things in North Dakota and the Upper Midwest, as seen through the eyes of veteran journalist, Thomas A. "The Scope" Kvamme.