“We wanted to inspire people that macarons can be whimsical and magical, to bring back happy memories from ones’ childhood.”
I am pleased to introduce Kirk, the Marketing Director of a local Australian macaron business. Fatcaron is known for their unique macarons, with over 100 flavours and custom character designs. Currently, they have a store at World Square shopping centre in Sydney CBD and are opening up new branches in Macquarie, Rhodes, Burwood and Market City. (Head to the Gallery to look at some of the macarons!)
Alison: Please introduce yourself.
Kirk: Hi, my name is Kirk and I am the Marketing and Operations Director of Fatcaron.
Alison: When was Fatcaron founded?
Kirk: Fatcaron was established in July 2019, at weekend markets around Sydney. Our very first market was at Glebe Markets.
Alison: How did you come up with the idea of Fatcaron?
Kirk: Originally, we were going to call our business ‘Ddoongcaron’ (Tung-caron) which means “fat or big macaron” in Korean. We came to the conclusion that ‘Ddoongcaron’ would be too difficult for many to pronounce in Australia and so we settled for ‘Fatcaron’. We had the idea of making macarons that were different, something that was not common in Sydney, such as by adding decorations and designs that were very different from your traditional macarons. We wanted to inspire people that macarons can be whimsical and magical, to bring back happy memories from ones’ childhood.
Alison: What does a normal day in “Fatcaron business” look like?
Kirk: As our operation grows and develops, I find that I am spending less time making macarons and spending more time responding to online orders and focusing on establishing new sections of our business. Prior to COVID, I was handling the packing of stock to deliver to our stores and customers as well as the management of our sales team. I would also be involved in constant dealings with potential business leads and shopping centres.
Alison: How are you affected by covid-19?
Kirk: We were affected by COVID like many other small businesses as our operational model relied on foot traffic at our physical locations. At that point, we had not yet established an online platform through which people can place orders and had not offered any delivery options, which certainly put us on the back foot.
Alison: How did you tackle this issue?
Kirk: This was a challenge that forced Fatcaron to evolve to the next level. We first had to survey the opportunities during this period and reassess the projects and tasks that we could not implement before due to being time-poor. Our first step was to offer delivery straight away. We also became more consistent with our social media posts – to ensure that our brand and products would become more well known around Sydney in spite of COVID. We explored and tried running advertisement campaigns and collaborated with other small businesses. Our main aim was to flood the Sydney dessert social media with our cute products.
Since the start of COVID, we have successfully established our delivery system and partnered up with other small and medium businesses, including UNSW. We have also completed setting up our website and are looking to launch it by early August.
Alison: Can you tell us about your team?
Kirk: Our team consists of our Head Pastry Chef, who is the mastermind in creating our menu list. Her creativity has made several whimsical designs possible, which have already been copied by some big baking accounts on social media.
Alison: That’s how you know your ideas are good – when people start to copy.
Kirk: Then there is me. Prior to becoming the Marketing and Operations Director, I was in management for 10+ years. Along with some sales experience I was able to elevate Fatcaron from weekend markets to shopping centres. I am deeply proud of our growth since Fatcaron started less than a year ago.
Alison: Can you tell us more about the progress of your business so far?
Kirk: I do believe that our progress has been somewhat remarkable. We have been very fortunate to have fostered many customer relationships, collaborated with many businesses and set up several store locations. We will continue to grow, adapt and evolve with the current circumstances and make Fatcaron a reputable macaron business in Sydney.
Alison: What do you love most about Fatcaron?
Kirk: What I love most about Fatcaron is that it can be very personal and bespoke with new and existing customers. We have created a small but humble following and a special relationship with many of our clients. They have become an extension of the Fatcaron family. I personally love seeing the faces and reactions when our customers receive what they have ordered. The excitement and joy they express are truly priceless and I am very blessed to have been a part of that special event.
Alison: That sounds lovely.
And my last question is: what is your vision for the business?
Kirk: Frankly speaking, we have already exceeded my vision for Fatcaron when we first started. From this point onwards, I aspire to see Fatcaron grow beyond a successful business to become a household name. Most of all, I plan to take this to a national, and eventually, an international level.
Follow Fatcaron on Instagram!
Check out their website.
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