The Full Story
About the owner
Hello out there! My name is Fran Curtis, and I'm a classically trained pastry chef. I grew up with a love of home baking that I inherited from my mom, and I quickly realized that the corporate world wasn't for me. I attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris at the age of 19 and have been working to open my own bakery ever since I graduated. I'm also a huge nerd, and most of my inspiration comes from my favorite pieces of media and the world around me.
I made 'By a Lady' for the people who don't think they can do it because they are different or too young, or too old, or unable. Everything is possible with faith, love, and just a little bit of pixie dust.
Why 'By a Lady'
When it came time to name my bakery, I found myself looking back at the legacy of Jane Austen. Because she couldn't publish under her own name during her lifetime, she famously chose the pseudonym 'by a lady' for her novels. When my close friend Nicole suggested using that same title for the bakery, it resonated with me immediately. I loved the idea of honoring that history and the many women of the 19th century who had to share their art through that simple, modest phrase. Choosing 'By a Lady' felt like the perfect way to carry that spirit forward into my own work.
