Senior year is a busy time for college-bound high school students. After months of picking schools, touring campuses, sending applications, waiting patiently for “the big envelope” and laboring over a final decision, there’s still the small matter of payment.
One Newport High School student hopes to use the spirit of entrepreneurship and her love of baking to write her tuition checks come fall.
Rachel Lingenbrink, 17, will open the online store for Shine Bakery on Sunday. Shine will deliver bulk orders to catering services and individual consumers located within a 12-mile radius of its Redmond headquarters – or further, with a surcharge.
Lingenbrink picked up baking when she was a young girl and stuck with it. In 2013, her Old Fashioned American Apple Pie won “Best Crust” at the Crossroads Bellevue Farmers Market.
She enrolled in Newport culinary arts program, competing with the ProStart team in the restaurant management division.
“This project really inspired me to look deeper into permits, licenses … everything you need to operate a food business,” Lingenbrink said.
It was a summer job working for a neighbor’s catering company that made her begin to seriously consider opening up her own business to pay for college.
With business guidance from her mother, Lingenbrink began researching in earnest state food standards and startup requirements.
She used her savings to purchase equipment and set up shop in her neighbor’s commercial kitchen. For now, the business is just her with some help from friends and family.
“I don’t know where I’m going to college yet, but I plan to go to school in Washington state,” she said. “Because of that, I’ll have the option of living at home … I can be focused on school and the bakery.”
Lingenbrink’s favorite treat from her inventory? The vanilla cupcakes with raspberry frosting.
ShineBakery.com is live now and will begin taking orders and making deliveries Sunday, March 16.
Vanilla cupcakes with raspberry frosting are Rachel Lingenbrink’s favorite treat from her inventory.
