Women to Watch

Hood Alumnae Magazine, Spring 2001

It's been called the best bakery, the oddest named bakery, and the bakery with a scary name.

You may not be able to pronounce the name, but once you've entered Guglhupf Bakery & Patisserie in Durham, N.C., you will succumb to its old world charm and fine artisan baked goods.

What is the secret to its success?

"We use traditional European baking techniques," explained Claudia Cooper '95, who opened the bakery with Hartmut Jahn in the fall of 1998. It quickly became known for its fragrant croissants and crusty loafs of rye and sourdough breads, baked fresh daily in a stone hearth oven, and a tempting array of cakes, tarts and seasonal specialties.

Born in Germany, Claudia moved to the United States, eventually completing her education at Hood.

"Claudia came to Hood not knowing it was a woman's college," laughed Carol Kolmerten, professor of English, who first met Claudia while teaching in the Honors Program. "She was living in West Virginia, commuting to campus, and one day noticed that there were very few men around. But she quickly became a true convert, believing that every young woman should have a time in her life when she is able to concentrate on academics instead of appearance."

Following her graduation from Hood, Claudia returned to Germany where she spent two years apprenticing as a pastry chef.

"I love to cook," explained Claudia. "I probably should have become a chef, but opening a bakery in the United States was a good business decision." According to an article in the Durham Herald Sun, the owners "left corporate jobs in Munich to launch a bakery overseas in a place called the Triangle that they found on the Internet."

Claudia put it this way: "We tried to find an area just coming into its prime, and we wanted to go somewhere fun."

"The '90s in the United States were marked by a lot of 'micro' industry revivals such as organic food, beer brewing, farmers' markets, and gourmet coffee," she continued. "It was an interesting time for us to enter the market with our foreign background and access to baking technology for artisan breads."

Claudia believes that a Hood education provided "the analytical tools I needed to dissect the process of planning, opening, and operating a business into a strategy involving several stages. In particular, the coursework in economics and marketing gave me the written skills to create a viable business plan."

In recalling Hood's professors, she credits Joseph E. Dahms, Beneficial Associate Professor of Economics, "for his patience and open-mindedness towards my ever-changing goals, objectives and varying business ideas."

Claudia admits that her first "real world" corporate job was a huge disappointment. "I now realize that it was just the wrong place for me to be. I encourage everyone to pursue a career that truly makes them happy and where they feel fulfilled. We probably spend two thirds of our working hours on the job and it is such a waste to be miserable for such a long time."

She also has advice for today's graduates. "Don't be afraid to change if your dream career doesn't turn out to be what you had hoped. Don't be afraid to change your path, but avoid drifting without a plan, for time is very precious."

Oh yes, explain, please, the oddest named bakery in town.

"It's very simple. Guglhupf is an Alsatian or Austrian coffee cake baked in a special mold called a guglhupf mold. Our logo is actually our namesake—a depiction of the guglhupf mold."